From the early 1700s, the Buton family began perfecting the noble distillatory art in France; they developed formulas and secrets which were carefully concealed in a precious notebook, destined to be handed down from generation to generation: The Buton Recipe Book. The success of their spirits was such that they earned the coveted title of suppliers of the imperial house of Napoleon I. When the regime fell, Jean, the most talented of the Buton heirs, decided to embark on a long journey to Italy, but not without bringing his family’s famous recipe book along.
Always drawn to inspiration, creativity and the traditional Italian wine-making art, Jean immediately realised that he had arrived in the “land of great wines” he had been seeking. He decided to settle in Emilia-Romagna, where he found the perfect grapes, the right climate and an environment full of culture and inspiration to refine his distillatory art. In 1820, with the help of a local entrepreneur, Jean set up an experimental distillery in Bologna.
The success of the experimental distillery led Jean to establish the first Italian steam distillery in 1830: the “Distilleria G. Buton & C.”. This was where Buton Cognac was first produced, an Italian excellence destined to spread all over the world.
More than one hundred years later, in 1939, the company chose to
enhance the product’s Italian personality and renamed it Vecchia Romagna Buton Brandy. This period was marked by two gambles that paid off: the introduction of the Bacchus image and the creation of the unmistakable triangular bottle.
The distillery was destroyed in 1943 by bombings during the Second World War. Only the old underground cellars survived the attacks, jealously guarding the barrels and barriques with their precious contents. A real treasure that allowed the company to rebuild and regain its commercial success once the war had ended.
In 1970, on the occasion of the company’s 150th anniversary, a new avant-garde production facility was inaugurated: The 180,000 m2 “City of Brandy” was dedicated to producing and ageing fine wine-based spirits.
In 1999, the company was acquired by Gruppo Montenegro which, as a result of its commercial success and fully-renovated historic production facility, has breathed new life into the business, making it a flagship Italian liquor company.
Discover the perfectly harmonious sensory notes
that make up our brandy.
