Company Profile
I'm Mauro Schiavo, creator of BUGIN: the Italian project that combines mixology, cooking and barbecue.
1)- MEAT, A FAMILY STORY
Grandfather Beppe, owner of a small family-run farm active for generations in the province of Turin, also loves producing his own cured meats: we are in the early 1900s.
In reality, the first part of my professional career focuses on mixology.
In 2007 I opened the first butcher's shop in the province of Turin with my mother Carla, followed by two other openings in the following years.
One of these butchers, TASTA (which in Piedmontese dialect means "taste") is located in San Mauro Torinese, near Turin, and was opened in 2017.
TASTA is part of Maestri del Gusto "for the authenticity, the valorisation of the territory and the quality of the products offered".
Right from the start, it was natural for me to combine my two professional paths: first bartender and then butcher.
Ten years ago I started experimenting with themed evenings with fine cuts of Fassona veal paired with cocktails. And I feel the need to use a distillate that allows me, through the selection of botanicals complementary to those used in cooking, to offer a coherent and integrated taste experience.
2)- GIN BUGIN
In 2018 we finish the BUGIN gin recipe. The word "bocin", in the Piedmontese dialect, means "veal".
Right from the start, I used BUGIN gin to massage the artisanal cured meats we produced, creating the first line of gin cured meats, which are still unique on the market. The approach is to follow and, at the same time, challenge Piedmontese tradition.
The versatility of BUGIN gin in cocktails, especially during meals and aperitifs, is combined with its possible use also in the kitchen, both for blending cuts of meat and for marinating them.
To release the notes of BUGIN gin in a special way, in 2024 we came out with two limited barreled editions: the BUGIN Barrique Old Tom ex Vermouth gin, the result of a meticulous rest of the BUGIN gin in the barrel that previously held red Superior Vermouth of Turin, and the BUGIN Barrique ex thyme.
The latter comes from resting the BUGIN gin in the barrel in which the thyme liqueur had previously been refined.
From the oak barrels where the gin was barricaded we obtained two types of smoking chunks for the barbecue world.
3)- GIN TONIC READY TO DRINK
Among our products, there is also Gin Tonic in a Ready To Drink can (250 ml, 7.8% VOL). Inside we have included BUGIN gin and the classic tonic, with quinine only, to enhance the botanicals of the distillate.
We created it with the characteristics that make it the ideal Gin Tonic for meats and grills: both for the BUGIN botanicals and for its delicate bitter note that refreshes the palate during meals.
You don't necessarily need to add ice: just chill the can in the fridge before consuming. An incredible mix of practicality, scent and flavours, also without preservatives.
4)- COCKTAIL RUBS
Subsequently, the BUGIN range is enriched with another type of product new to the market: Cocktail rubs.
In the latter, the botanicals of BUGIN gin are the basis of six different mixes of salt, spices and herbs that recall the aroma and flavor of the most iconic cocktails: Martini Cocktail, Negroni, Gin Tonic, Spritz, Gin Mule and Mojito.
They are the first and only rubs that unite the worlds of mixology, cooking and barbecue.
Simply use them to massage and flavor meat, fish, fruit and vegetables before any type of cooking: barbecue, embers, oven and pan. Attention to quality remains the common thread throughout the entire range: Cocktail rubs do not contain alcohol nor preservatives.
5)- COCKTAIL BBQ SAUCES
We also produce in our laboratory the first and only American-style barbecue sauces, which combine the worlds of mixology and barbecue: the COCKTAIL BBQ SAUCES.
We produce them with recipes of herbs, spices and the highest quality raw materials to recreate the aromatic notes of the most iconic cocktails.
Even BUGIN's BBQ sauces, as well as Cocktail rubs, contain neither alcohol nor preservatives.
6)- COCKTAIL JELLIES
To complete the BUGIN range, there are the new jellied drinks: the first cocktail-flavoured jellies that revolutionize pairings with cheeses.
We produce them in six versions (Martini Cocktail, Negroni, Gin Tonic, Spritz, Gin Mule and Mojito) each recommended with a different type of cheese.