Rocco Forte Hotels Launches Italy by the Glass Campaign
Rocco Forte Hotels launched a campaign called Italy by the Glass to showcase Italian cocktails at its four properties. The initiative invites guests to experience the country through four signature drinks. The tour begins at The Carlton Bar in Milan, the capital of mixology, with the Americano. It moves to the Bar Artemisia at the Savoy in Florence for the Negroni, a drink born in the city. The journey continues to the Hotel de Russie in Rome for the Cardinal before concluding at the Villa Igiea in Palermo-Torino. There, guests can try a Sicilian version of the Mi-To.
The role of Salvatore Calabrese
Salvatore Calabrese, a renowned Italian bartender based in London, designed the drink list for Rocco Forte Hotels. He joined the group’s mixology consultancy in 2018. Their connection began about ten years earlier when Olga Polizzi, the hotelier, asked him to help design the Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel in London. The hotel took its name from photographer Terence Donovan. Calabrese, born in 1955 in Maiori, found both success and his wife in London. His breakfast habits inspired his famous Breakfast Martini, the first cocktail to include a hint of orange marmalade.
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Calabrese’s creativity extends to the Negroni Svegliato, a twist on the classic with added caffeine. This version appears on the Artemisia menu at the Hotel Savoy in Florence. The Savoy bar honors Artemisia Gentileschi and the count Camillo Negroni, who requested the drink in the early 1900s. The original Americano consisted of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. The count swapped the soda for more gin, creating the Negroni. While Florence claims the invention, the drink has evolved globally. The Artemisia menu features five distinct interpretations, including the Truffle Negroni with local truffle oil and the no-alcohol Bachelor Negroni made with red wine and pomegranate juice.
The Cardinal, a drier Negroni variation, dates back to the Dolce Vita era of the 1950s. The classic recipe replaces sweet vermouth with dry vermouth. The Bar Stravinskij at the Hotel de Russie offers a diplomatic blend where both vermouths coexist. This balance mirrors the harmony between prelates in the Curia. In Palermo, the Mi-To represents the Italian way of mixing. The traditional version combines Milanese bitter with Torinese vermouth. Calabrese reimagined this drink for the Villa Igiea. He replaced the bitter with Marsala, a fortified wine from Sicily. This choice pays homage to the villa’s Liberty architecture and the Florio family history.
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The signature drinks of The Carlton Bar
The tour begins at The Carlton Bar in Milan. The city has been a center for mixology since Gaspare Campari arrived there. The campaign features the Americano. This drink evolved from the Milano-Torino. It added soda water to refresh the palate. The drink became popular in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele cafes. Calabrese updated the recipe for modern Milan. He uses bitter, red vermouth, pomegranate juice, and artisanal London dry soda.
