Sicilian Family Recipe to Local NH Liqueur

For the past few weeks I have been featuring cocktails made with Morécello (Blackberry) Liqueur. I have been enjoying experimenting with it so much that this weeks cocktail featured it as well. I thought I should tell you the story of this liqueur and its creator, Frank Marino. I took some time to chat with him a few weeks ago to get the story so I could share it with you.

I had the pleasure of meeting Frank years ago when he contacted me to have me teach his wife piano as an Anniversary present. I had not taught any piano since leaving Massachusetts and I was really happy to be teaching again. Jo Ann was a joy to teach because as an adult she really cared. and I truly enjoyed her company. She was always so hard on herself which made me feel bad, although that is my personality too. It's always easier to give advice than to take your own though right...do as I say but not as I do. So often when I was leaving after the piano lessons Frank would give me a homemade bottle of blackberry liqueur to take home. I remember him telling me that he was experimenting with his recipe which I just found out came from his Sicilian Grandfather, Frank Marino. This recipe took years to perfect and during that time Frank gave it to friends and family for the holidays and they kept telling him he should sell it.

Frank's day job was patent work and in 2014 when the patent business died he found himself involuntarily retired. It seemed as good a time as any to see if he could actually sell his Blackberry Liqueur which he named Morécello. Frank found a local facility where he could produce the liqueur and over the next two years he applied for all of the Federal Licenses that he would need to produce and sell his liqueur. He called his business and building Black Cove Beverages. Within a year of starting production he was selling his liqueur in 3-4 states.

His blackberries come from Washington State and the climate and weather can affect Frank's ability to get the amounts that he needs for his production. The liquor business is tricky as well. In my past lives I was a wine and liquor rep and there are a lot of rules for distributors and small producers and they vary by state. For many reasons Frank cannot sell the Morécello in some states anymore. Ironically, he is busy with his patent business again, but he hopes to someday find someone with enough distributor experience who can bring the brand to another level and to more people again. For now it continues to sell well in NH. The next time you are at the liquor store pick up a bottle of Morécello! Be creative and come up with a fun new cocktail or use some of the cocktail recipes that I posted in my Seasonal Sippers but you can also just enjoy this perfected family recipe in its purest form as an after dinner drink or digestif! Salute!