Distillerie Moccia

Talk about a name that rings out: If you’ve ever skied in the Italian Alps (and even if you haven’t), chances are you’ve heard of Zabov. This iconic egg liqueur, effectively a zabaglione in a bottle, is best known as the base ingredient of the legendary Alpine cocktail known as the “Bombardino”—a sweet and creamy pick-me-up favored by skiers and mountaineers across Northern Italy. But Zabov is not only sipped on its own or used in cocktails, it has myriad culinary applications as well.

Zabaglione is an airy, custard-like dessert which was traditionally made by whipping eggs with sugar and Marsala wine. In the late 1940s, Luigi Moccia developed the recipe for Zabov using brandy instead of Marsala and packaged the resulting liqueur in a clear bottle to showcase the saturated egg-yolk-yellow color. The name combines the “ZAB” of zabaglione with the “OV” of uovo (“egg”).

Over the years, the Moccias grew the company from a workshop-scale operation to a spirits powerhouse marketing some 70 different brands. In 1980, the company was sold to the Ori family, who still run it today: The “classic” Zabov bottling is still the heart and soul of the operation and one of the most iconic liqueur brands in Italy.

Of course, Zabov tastes just as good without ever setting foot on a mountain. Drizzle it over fruit for a simple, slightly boozy dessert; mix it with coffee; riff on a White Russian; there’s plenty of creamy, eggy goodness to go around!