Italy’s Branca International has invested in Altr, a US-based startup specialising in alcohol removal and reduction technology.
In a joint statement, the size of the investment was not disclosed, though it was described as “strategic”.
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“This investment does not signal a shift in Branca’s product strategy, but rather reflects a long-term perspective on how the sector is evolving,” the statement said.
The investment also “strengthens” the family-owned group’s focus on “selective, future-oriented innovation”, it added.
Altr uses its proprietary technology called Velvet Blade to remove or reduce ethanol at the molecular level, which is said to preserve taste, aroma structure and mouthfeel. The group uses the tech across wine, spirits and other alcoholic drinks.
The group mainly operates in the US but is also “conducting early-stage trials across Europe, working with both large-scale producers and innovative new entrants exploring low- and no-alcohol offerings,” Altr’s co-founder and CEO Richard Schatzberger told Just Drinks.
Together, the two companies expect to develop “new opportunities for product innovation and market development”, the statement said.
“There are no plans to apply Altr’s technology to Branca’s products,” Branca’s president Niccolò Branca told Just Drinks.
Branca’s spirits group Fratelli Branca Distillerie does not currently have any no-and-low products in its portfolio.
“The investment is a long-term, strategic initiative aimed at observing how innovation may contribute to the evolution of the sector, while the group continues to develop its brands with the same focus on quality, consistency, and heritage that defines its identity,” Branca added.
In the statement, Richard Schatzberger, CEO and founder of Altr, said: “Together, we are creating exceptional beverages that preserve craft, elevate quality, and give people true choice in how alcohol fits into their social experiences.”
Founded in 1845 in Milan by Bernardino Branca, Branca International owns the Italian spirits group Fratelli Branca Distillerie, which produces brands such as Fernet-Branca, Brancamenta, Carpano vermouths, and Caffè Borghetti.
Niccolò Branca added in the statement: “Our role is to closely observe how the sector evolves and to invest in solutions that can support its development over time.
“The future of the sector will not be defined by a choice between alcoholic and non-alcoholic products, but by a broader spectrum of options within the same drinking culture. Altr represents a compelling technology because it expands the possibilities available to both producers and consumers, without calling into question the value, quality, or identity of the products themselves.”
Branca International also owns the Argentine company Fratelli Branca Destilerias and Branca Holdings, which oversees its New York-based commercial hub, Branca USA.
