Timoncello® is the Liqueur of Lake Como, a product that tells the story of the first limoncello to arrive in these areas in the early 1900s when Baldassarre Castelnovo, an innkeeper in Civate , brought it here reinventing it with the flavor of thyme, the pèss herb typical of the lake.

Baldassare, also called by the dialectal diminutive Sarén, was an innkeeper in Civate in the early 1900s. It was in those years, following a trip to the Campania coast, that he decided to work on his own version of limoncello to bring that highly appreciated lemon liqueur for the first time to the Lake Como area where it was still unknown. He wanted to give that liqueur its own character that would tell something about the lake by making patrons of the Osteria Giardinetto excited by tasting something special and unique.

So he invented a refreshing and delicate combination that allowed people to appreciate the quintessential Italian liqueur in its own version linked to Erba di Pèss, a symbolic ingredient of Lake Como. This is how thyme is called in these areas, the aromatic herb that has always been widely used by lake fishermen to season lake fish dishes. The secret formula, however, was never put “black on white” precisely according to the wishes of its inventor and remains to this day guarded only among family members.

In fact, Baldassarre spoke of his recipe as an act of love for Lake Como and as a secret message to his beloved he wanted to remain an authentic treasure handed down to his heirs.

Timoncello®’s ingredients make it such a beneficial liqueur that in Baldassarre’s years it was customary for families in Civate to have a bottle of “Timoncello del Sarén” in the cupboard to use against seasonal ailments such as coughs and colds or simply at the end of a meal as a digestive.

Today, Timoncello® is the Liqueur of Lake Como, Baldassarre’s secret formula that remained exclusive to his family’s heirs for years is now being rediscovered and ennobled to be shared, known and appreciated. A natural product obtained from the infusion of IGT Italian Lemons and Lake Thyme. Without the addition of additives, preservatives, dyes or allergens.