Trendy drinks for Summer 2020: three unmissable cocktails created by some of the best Italian mixologists.

The recipes of trendy drinks from Italian cocktail bars. Two are inspired by famous movies and, personally, we are very pleased that one takes its cue from “Borotalco”, since we have always considered it as the best film ever directed by Carlo Verdone. As usual, our expert Carlo Dutto tells us everything about.

The Recipes

DRINK: PLANCTONIC

BARTENDER: Alessio Navacci, barman of QVINTO in Rome

INGREDIENTS:

60 ml VII Hills Italian Dry Gin

180 ml phytoplacton flavored tonic water

Lemon essential oils

Glass: Ballon

PREPARATION:

First of all prepare the phytoplacton tonic water: in a Chemex, manual glass coffee machine, place a paper filter and 15 grams of phytoplacton powder (available in online or specialized shops). Slowly pour 1 liter of tonic water to pass it through the magical green powder. At the end of the infusion you will have a light emerald tonic, delicious even to see. Pour the flavored tonic into a shaker for carbonating drinks, giving it the original carbonation. Cool a glass ballon with a large block of ice, remove the excess water, pour the VII Hills Italian Dry Gin and, delicately, the flavored tonic.

THE DRINK:

Twist of the famous Gin Tonic, a drink that includes two simple elements, in this case two particular quality ingredients that raise the conceptual and sensorial level of the cocktail. The barman Alessio Navacci gives the drink a complex flavor of the sea, due to the use of tonic water flavored with phytoplacton, which is combined with a generous dose of VII Hills Italian Dry Gin, giving citrus and vegetable notes. Distributed by Pallini Spa and distilled in Moncalieri, but inspired by the cultural and culinary traditions of Ancient Rome, VII Hills Italian Dry Gin is an aromatic and fruity spirit, slightly citrusy on the nose, whose seven spices – the Seven Hills of Rome evoked by the name – are mixed and infused for up to 15 days, in a versatile blend, rich in history and tradition. Navacci’s cocktail, created in collaboration with his colleague Riccardo Martellucci, is inspired by the Ischia island, home of Italian simplicity and authenticity and was created in QVINTO, in the beautiful park of Tor di Quinto, in Rome’s northern area: a restaurant at the ground floor, with grill and a gourmand pizzeria, a large outdoor area with a well-stocked bar and a terrace for aperitifs and events in an informal, but elegant location.

DRINK: OPTAI PER IL MARE

(inspired by the movie “Borotalco”, by Carlo Verdone, 1982)

BARTENDER: Davide Patta, owner and bartender of Ruggine in Bologna

INGREDIENTS:

70 ml VII Hills Italian Dry Gin

10 ml OSCAR.697 Vermouth Extradry

1 barspoon black brine – Celline olive brine

2 dash celery bitters

1 dash EVO oil

Glass: cup

Garnish: olives (strictly Greek!)

PREPARATION:

Put to cool a cup. In a mixing glass, pour all the ingredients and plenty of ice. Mix with a bar spoon until the desired temperature and dilution is reached and pour into a cup, serving, separately, a bowl of olives, strictly Greek!

INSPIRATION:

The cornerstone of the Italian comedy, ‘Borotalco’, has inspired this drink, with multiple references: first of all the romanity of Carlo Verdone is enhanced by the use of VII Hills Italian Dry Gin, inspired by the cultural and culinary traditions of Ancient Rome, with its seven herbs and spices that grow naturally on the Seven Hills on which the capital stands, mixed in a versatile and delicate blend, rich in history and traditions due to the hints of Roman chamomile balanced by the freshness of celery. The desire to meet Lucio Dalla on the part of the splendid Eleonora Giorgi recalls Bologna, the city where the bartender lives and works. The sea and the choice of navigating it, by Manuel Fantoni – from his dialogue the name of the drink – are recalled by the salinity of the Cellina olive brine present in the recipe. The olives served separately, strictly Greek (!), are a tribute to Mario Brega – Augusto in the movie – as well as an essential presence in a variant of a Martini Cocktail, as the use of vermouth well reminds, in this case an OSCAR.697 Extradry, perfect for Martini, made by the liquorist Stefano Di Dio.

DRINK: TRIBAL DIVE

(inspired by the movie: ‘Jumanji’, by Joe Johnston, 1995)

BARTENDER: Daniele D’Ercole, bar manager of Sacripante Art Gallery in Rome

INGREDIENTS:

4.5 cl Gosling’s Black Seal Rum

6 cl ginger beer

2.5 cl lime juice

2 cl Orzata Pallini

2 drops of cocoa bitters

edging with turmeric salt

Glass: tall tumbler or collins of 36 cl

Garnish: tuft of mint and grated tonka bean

PREPARATION:

First prepare the edging of turmeric salt by wetting the top edge of the glass with a slice of lime and adding the salt to it as if it were a Margarita cocktail. Fill with ice to the brim, pour Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, lime juice, Orzata Pallini and bitters drops into a shaker, then add the ice to the shaker and shake for 5/6 seconds in order not to have too much water in the cocktail. Drain the serving glass from the water created by melting the ice, taking care not to spoil the salt rim and filter the cocktail in the glass. Add the ginger beer and, after a gentle mixing, garnish with a sprig of mint and some grated tonka bean (instead of nutmeg or vanilla icing sugar).

INSPIRATION:

The drink is inspired by the adventurous comedy ‘Jumanji’, starring Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce and has, as main ingredient, the Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, produced in Bermuda, which gives that touch of magic and mystery that always hovers around to the island and that marks the adventure of the film. A drink that is part of ‘Drinkfulness’, a menu created by Daniele D’Ercole, bar manager of Sacripante Art Gallery, art gallery and cocktail bar in via Panisperna, in the Monti district in Rome. A newly launched menu based on concepts such as play, adventure, imagination and exotic figures such as animals and plants from the jungle. A sensorial tasting that goes through the paintings displayed in the gallery and the respective descriptions.