Tag: cocktail

Twist on classic: how to reinvent a cocktail – Italian Cuisine

From the homonymous children's book of the Jerry Thomas Project in Rome, a manual to reinterpret the great classics of mixing in a modern way

Suffice it to say "those of Jerry" in Rome (but also Oltretevere) and everyone understands who it is. They are Leonardo Leuci, Roberto Artusio, Antonio Parlapiano and Alessandro Procoli: or the four of the Jerry Thomas Project, who have just published the book that will be the new sacred text of the bartenders: Twist on classic – The great Jerry Thomas Project cocktails (Giunti). Their friendship and professional collaboration began with a project on the rediscovery of mixing from the time of American pre-prohibition (1800-1920) to today, studying the evolution of the classics starting from The Bar-Tender's Guide, The bible of mixology, written by that very Jerry Thomas to whom they dedicated their efforts.

The next step, in 2010, was the opening of Italy's most famous speakeasy, which entered the World’s 50 Best Bars list five times. While waiting for the celebrations of the tenth anniversary, the four boys have ventured into their own text. In just over two hundred pages, they trace the history, theory and technique of mixing that over the years have studied and disseminated, forming many of the best bartenders in the capital and beyond. Disseminators born, therefore, who until now had not yet written down the results of their studies, made even more compelling by the splendid images of Alberto Blasetti, one of the best food & beverage photographers, who signs his first solo book with the Jerry guys.

There is no lack of the best Jerry Thomas recipes, which arise from the reinterpretation of a classic: they are all Twist on classic, as the title suggests. But how do you tweet a cocktail, as the bartenders say? The four boys explain it in a paragraph entitled Concept and theory of twist on classic – How to create original recipes starting from the classics: "The twist is a variation of the original recipe in which one ingredient is replaced by another, or a different (and often innovative) technique is used compared to the classic one". Everything, for the Jerry kids, is summed up with what they call "three-dimensional rule", that is, the twists can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

Horizontal Twist

It is the simplest solution: take the structure of the classic recipe and replace one or more elements with others that follow a consistency: distillate by distillate, sweetener for sweetener, acidifier for acidifier and so on. It will seem a little courageous choice, but surely it is the one that distorts the balance of the original recipe less, that if you have had luck there will be a reason.

Vertical Twist

"It consists in adding, to a previously defined recipe, an ingredient whose composition does not fall into any of the types of ingredients contained". It is the loose splinter that is added to give sparkle to the composition, but beware of the risk of imbalance, so much so that often the vertical twists are also horizontal, because it may be necessary to modify some other element to rebalance the compound.

Diagonal Twist

This is the slightly more complex one to understand, so we must rely on the words of the book: «It occurs when an ingredient of the basic recipe is replaced by another of a different type but which pursues the same purpose as the original ingredient (alcoholic sweetener in place of non-alcoholic sweetener, solutions and acid preparations instead of citrus juice etc.) . An example? Try making a Whiskey Sour by replacing the sugar syrup with a sweet liqueur.

The images of the photo gallery are by Alberto Blasetti.

Do you always take "the usual"? The cocktail list becomes thematic – Italian Cuisine

Do you always order "the usual" at the bar, wherever you are, whatever the season? Read here. A journey through space, in France or to read tarot cards: drink lists in Milan change like the seasons and are a phenomenon for fans. To collect experiences and gadgets

Do you always order "the usual" at the bar, wherever you are, whatever the season? Read here, the best cocktail bars have original, thematic, seasonal drink lists – just like restaurants. On the kitchen we now have certainties. A good restaurant is recognized when the recipes are seasonal, the raw materials are sought after, the chef puts his own creative touch and the menu changes quite often, say at least once a season. A good bar works exactly the same way.
A respectable cocktail bar has at least three things: a list of great classics, your own proposals signature and drinks designed to follow seasons. And possibly mix well in all cases.

Classic or signature?

If you enter the Camparino in Milan, ask for a shaker, at the Bar Basso, a Wrong, if I have Mattia Pastori in front of me, I'll have a Negroni del Professore, his signature smoked in coffee, but if there's Oscar Quagliarini, I'll have fun with his vermouth, the OSCAR.697. Knowing how to make a Martini or a Boulevardier is like knowing how to make spaghetti with tomatoes, the base, but then there are the specialties of the house that have made history, the cocktails that distinguish a professional and above all the novelties. It is true that we tend to drink more or less the same things (you are a nigger, it is difficult to order a Piña Colada) but it is also true that new recipes and alternative twists entertain, and make going out for a drink more interesting.

The identity that pays

Having a strong identity is fundamental and the signs and the furnishings are not enough, and above all a proposal for an identification cocktail is needed, a style that distinguishes the restaurant, even better if this is declined from time to time into something new. "The thematic lists, the Pinch figurines, the videos, but also the small details like the uniforms and all the gadgets given over time, such as t-shirts, pins, matches, bookmarks and business cards, are the result of a great effort towards the 'elective affinity with our customers and have the purpose of establishing complicity”Explains Erik Viola, Pinch's barmanager, a restaurant on the Navigli in Milan that has always dedicated its seasonal lists to themes from space to comics. You want to amaze, amuse yourself, you want to experiment but above all you want to involve your guests – and make them come back for an extra occasion, like discovering the new list.

In Milan it is a trend, between those who work well, and here are the premises (and restaurants) that have interpreted the theme in their own way. From Armani you drink following the capitals of fashion, at the Daniel restaurant the Milanese aperitif is staged, from Ceresio 7 the sartorial list develops on fabrics and textures, from Iter you travel from nation to nation. And if you want to "read the tarot" instead of a menu, everyone at the Park Hyatt.

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Pinch, the design cards

Pinch over the years has been decidedly prolific and the change of seasonal menu has always been an opportunity to "reinvent", each time offering a different look. Each list has always had a well-defined theme, a pretext for the experimentation and creativity of the bartenders as well as for the creativity of those who design the lists, Corrado Garcia, former Wired art director. The last drink list focuses on the theme of art and is inspired by the masterpieces of artists such as Magritte, Frieda Kahlo, Leonardo, Gauguin, Picasso … inspiration to recall worlds, flavors, colors and tastes that distinguish cocktails recipes as well as menu.

Emporio Armani Cafè, the cities of fashion

Elegant, essential, at the bar of the Emporio Armani Caffè and Restaurant you can drink with the list created by Mattia Pastori going to Paris, Milan, London, New York, touching the cities of the great fashion shows. Milan, the city of happy hour, of conviviality, of classics like the Milan-Turin or of twist like the Spritz Mediteranneo, based on Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto. Paris is dedicated to champagne cocktails, from French 75 to an original Champagne Mary with cherry tomato juice. London identifies the new trends in mixology and New York the atmospheres of the night, such as the M&M with mezcal and bitter Montenegro.

Ceresio 7: the sartorial paper dedicated to fabrics and textures

The new paper is dedicated to the world of textiles to celebrate the connection with the world of fashion and design, the origin of the Ceresio7 concept. The name Sartorial, is formed from the idea of creating a personalized and tailored experience, great attention is given to the taste but above all to the textures of the cocktails. The paper designed by Guglielmo Miriello and his team is divided into two sections: Textiles, where each cocktail represents a fabric, and You inspire me, a selection inspired by the great classics reworked. Among the cocktails, Pride of silk, inspired by silk, with ingredients from Japan, such as kumquats, Miyagawa mandarin and Nikka from the Barrel whiskey with hints of chamomile and acacia honey; it is served in a particular Japanese "cup" with oriental floral ornaments or Penicellin # 2 is a twist on the cocktail created at Milk & Honey in 2005, it is proposed again with Mezcal and tequila instead of Scotch Whiskey, with citrus sherbet, ginger fresh and agave nectar. It is served in a "pharmaceutical" bottle with an ironic label.

Tarot cards at the Park Hyatt

The Mio Lab card is the one signed by Oscar Quagliarini and plays on the enigmatic figures of the tarot. 12 cocktails for a bouquet of 12 cards and perfumes, because all the cocktails are transformed into fragrances to be smelled before choosing, to which are added now the new cocktail / aperitif cards: Il Sole (gin with saffron, yellow tomato , maida, lime juice, yuzu tincture, berberé) and then Le Stelle, La Giustizia, La Forza,, Il Diavolo, La Luna and L'Angelo. Already on the list since last season the Matto (gin Helsinky, rose liqueur Palent, lime, champagne), La Papessa (Ketel one vodka, pomegranate juice, lime, triple sec Giffard, lemon velvet with ginger Giffard), La Temperance (Tanqueray Gin, Pachineat snack tomato essence, Giarratana Pachineat onion water, apple cider vinegar, caper powder), L'Eremita (Gin Tanqueraye walnuts, lead tobacco, old Samperi, my Sherry, drops of ponzu sauce, honey) … Try the exclusive Q Bitter Park Hyatt Edition, a less bittering bitter with low gentian content to highlight the citrus notes of bitter oranges, cedar and tangerine.

The Spirit: like an art gallery

Since its opening in June 2017, The Spirit has thought of its own drink lists as experiences, and created two drink lists a year, Spring / Summer and Autumn / Winter: seasonal drink lists designed as invitations to travel, evocations of magic and spirituality, diving into the world of gambling and luxury casinos. For the fifth drink list, there is a tribute to one of the artists who marked a point of no return in the history of art: Vincent Van Gogh. The new cocktails become almost a pictorial exhibition, a "liquid" translation of some themes and ideas of Van Gogh. The menu resembles the guide booklets that are usually delivered at the entrance of the museums and also the external showcase becomes a poster of the exhibition in progress: The Spirit of Van Gogh!

Ristorante Daniel: the Milanese aperitif

Does a Ganassa drink it? Chef Daniel Canzian the Milanese aperitif now serves him at the restaurant, directly at the table and prepared right in front of the guests and served with small amuse bouche in combination. The paper was designed by the mixologist Mattia Pastori and wants to celebrate the typical Milanese ritual. Among the new cocktails there is the Tel Chi, a twist on the spritz with horseradish and wasabi and accompanied by a crouton with cooked ham and horseradish, or the Ganassa, a cocktail inspired by the 80s to grappa that comes with a tartlet with mayonnaise parsley and cabbage. El sciur instead is the 60s drink combined with cauliflower mousse and curry oil. Also on paper could not miss a signature by Mattia, "Il Negroni del Professore", which here takes the name of El Professur, smoked, and served with a signature recipe by Daniel The fake pheasant terrine of the Duke of Salaparuta.

MAG: the drink lists to collect

They played with a thousand inspirations, from the Milan subway stops to Alice in Wonderland. At the MAG on the Naviglio the bartender Flavio Angiolillo, the cocktail list also becomes a small souvenir, a small paper converting project always special to preserve. Now we travel, and with 13 cocktails with which we touch 13 Italian and international travel stages to begin to get the urge to vacation … For the first time the Falesne Pivo and Salam Alaykoum arrive, two cocktails inspired by Prague and Morocco designed for more people, to be shared in small sips.

Iter: from regions to nations

When they opened the drink list it consisted of postcards from Italy, one per region, then (unfortunately) they dedicated themselves to thematic menus dedicated every 6 months to a different national. Holland, Panama … like a Lonely Planet you travel with thematic cocktails made with local ingredients. Now it's the turn of France.

Cocktail bars and hotel restaurants in Rome: the revenge of luxury hotels – Italian Cuisine

There is great excitement in Rome in the small and large luxury hotels in the center: between restyling and new openings, places grow where you can enjoy a good drink in a breathtaking location

Who said that to set foot in five-star hotels you must have booked a room? Almost always there are bars (and restaurants) within the hotels that are worth a visit. A way to catch two birds with one stone: find something good to drink and at the same time enjoy a breathtaking location, between terraces overlooking the rooftops of the historic center of Rome and luxuriously furnished rooms. And never as in this period there is a great excitement precisely in this sector, with large investments that have focused on four and five-star counters, thanks also to the breath of fresh air given by the numerous new openings of luxury boutique hotels that are real jewels, but also the restyling of old glories of the city.

Lumen – Hotel St. Regis

When the cocktail bar becomes the true protagonist of the hotel. This is the case of the Lumen Bar at the St. Regis, one of the most luxurious hotels in the city, usually chosen by supervip as Madonna, which recently underwent an important restyling. Presented with a mega-party on Valentine's Day, Lumen has the distinction of occupying a central space in the hotel lobby space. The name, Lumen, is dedicated to the imposing chandeliers that overlook the immense hall, the drink list sees the names of the most exotic and suggestive butterflies in the world, from Hercules to the Red Admiral (or Vanessa Atalanta). This last drink is perhaps the real symbol of this bar, since it is the reworking of the Bloody Mary, a veritable institution of the hotel chain, in turn the son of the Red Snapper, served for the first time just at the St. Regis from New York. A drink here is a real experience, which also passes through the service, entrusted to the elegant design elements of partners such as Le Dictateur who created an exclusive line of glasses for St. Regis.

Idylio and Divinity Lounge Bar – Iconic Pantheon

With the formalization of the arrival of chef Francesco Apreda, the Iconic Pantheon has discovered the cards: not only the intention of the Tridente Collection Group to give life to a special project of luxury hotels right in the historic center, precisely at the Pantheon, but also that of becoming a point of reference for all-round hospitality, including the food & beverage area. Apreda's choice has many meanings: on the one hand the obvious star ambitions (Apreda came from Imago to the Hassler where it had held the Michelin star for several years), but also the desire to be as cosmopolitan as the kitchen of the Neapolitan chef, who does not lack never to put his international experiences in his dishes. Oriental, Indian, but also Roman and Neapolitan elements, which are mixed in a melting pot of experiences to be discovered in the dishes, as well as in the signature drinks of the Divinity Lounge Bar, the terrace of the Iconic Pantheon overlooking the dome of the rotunda, so like that of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza.

Adelaide and In Salotto – Hotel Vilòn

It could be called a speakeasy hotel, because whoever passes in this side street a few steps away from Via dei Condotti and doesn't even notice that he is in front of a small jewel. On the other hand, Vilòn is a Hebrew word that means veil, curtain, and gives the idea of something hidden, to be discovered. Housed in a wing of Palazzo Borghese, with its 18 rooms it is part of the Small Luxury Hotel of the World affiliate chain. Atmosphere Decò and an eclectic collection of furniture and works of art, in the common areas hides an interesting cocktail bar called In Salotto, a delightful internal garden reminiscent of Moroccan atmospheres and an excellent restaurant named after Adelaide, the princess wife of Scipione Borghese who wanted that these spaces host the First School for Poor Maidens. In the lounge of the Vilòn is the class and experience of Magdalena Rodriguez, a young barlady from Costa Rica, who in her mixology style does not fail to introduce the tropical atmospheres in which she grew up. His excellent drinks are accompanied by the appetizers that come from the kitchen of the Adelaide restaurant, entrusted to the chef Gabriele Muro. For those who want to continue the evening, the advice is to indulge in dinner and complete the journey with the dishes that blend the traditions of the chef from Procida and the Roman echo of his training.

Valentyne Restaurant and Hi-Res – Hotel Valadier

Only one hotel, two restaurant bars to be discovered. On the one hand the atmosphere of the Thirties of Valentyne, whose entrance is next to that of the hotel, on the other the view of the roofs of the historic center from the terrace of the Hi-Res. Valentyne is the most glamorous face, with precious marbles, mirrors, brass, and velvets. The good bartenders captained by Alessio Bragalone engage themselves with international drinks, like the cuisine inspired by the great classics of the New York and French hotels. The executive chef Gabriele Cordaro, on the other hand, proposes a refined and sophisticated accompaniment with luxurious ingredients such as oysters and foie gras, but also more pop proposals like the fish burger. On the top floor of the Valadier hotel there is the Hi-Res terrace lounge which, thanks to a complex technical solution, manages to give the freshness of eating or enjoying a drink on the terrace in all seasons: outdoor in summer, enjoying the ponentino, covered by a heated tent in winter.

Acquaroof Terrazza Molinari – The First Luxury Hotel

View over the rooftops of Rome and starred liquid food: these are just two of the ingredients put in place by The First Luxury Hotel, a 5-star luxury hotel, which also boasts a Michelin star for the Acquolina restaurant. Leading the kitchen is Angelo Troiani, while on the terrace, for a promise made to the late Alessandro Narducci (the young chef who was driving the restaurant and who was unfortunately a victim of a car accident), there is the good Valeria Bassetti . The lounge bar is called Terrazza Molinari for a partnership with the company that produces the famous Sambuca and which is also a distributor of other spirits. It is with these bases that the signature cocktails designed by Bassetti in a card that evokes the sea are made. They accompany the food proposals created by Troiani, also very tied to the sea. With liquid food we mean instead the fun project of proposing hybrids between cocktails and food, in which the collaboration between bar and kitchen is total.

Senses Restaurant & Lounge Bar – Radisson Collection Palazzo Montemartini

Recently inaugurated, Palazzo Montemartini is an elegant hotel of the premium line of the Radisson chain. Eighty rooms in an exceptional location with a lot of Servian Walls that cross the Senses Restaurant & Lounge Bar. Two protagonists of this space: on one side the Sicilian chef Simone Strano, on the other the bar manager Riccardo Di Dio Masa, who takes care of the lounge area and the Champagne Bar, which offers a wide selection of the best labels to be enjoyed in a breathtaking setting, with splendid marble columns, a suggestive central fountain and a peaceful outdoor garden.

Restaurant Seven and Lounge Bar – Radisson Blu

Also from the Radisson chain and always from parts of the Termini station, is the Radisson Blu, an elegant modern structure designed by the King & Roselli architects' studio. We are a stone's throw from the Esquilino market, in the ethnic heart of the city, in via Turati and at the top of the hotel, the rooftop houses the Sette restaurant, home of chef Giuseppe Gaglione, interpreter of the kitchen line set together with the chain's F&B Director, Andrea Ribaldone, with great classics of hotel cuisine like the Rossini fillet, but also innovative dishes inspired by tradition. The atmosphere is that of the luxurious deck of a yacht, overlooking the city's rooftops. The atmosphere that in the summer gives poolside pools, including a drink and a dish of the chef from Campania, is particularly pleasant.