Frangelico is produced in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, and its origins date back more than 300 years to the presence of early Christian monks living in the hills of the area. Their skills in fine food and drink would have included the art of distilling, especially the use of the wild hazelnuts and other local ingredients to create a liqueur on which Frangelico is based today.

Frangelico's irresistible hazelnut taste starts with some very special hazelnuts. They even have their own name - Tonda Gentile - and are a speciality of the northern Italian region of Piedmont where Frangelico is produced. Tonda Gentile hazelnuts are known for being bigger, plumper and more uniform, with a skin that sheds easily, allowing for toasting without a bitter taste. In September 2010, Gruppo Campari acquired the brand.