Following the success of its past editions, Florence Cocktail Week (FCW) will make its return from the 6th to the 12th of May. Founded and organized by Paola Mencarelli and Lorenzo Nigro, the weeklong event dedicated to mixology “Made in Florence” serves up a sundry calendar consisting of master classes and night shifts, featuring Italian and international guests, round tables and gatherings aimed at professionals and enthusiasts.
Now in its fourth edition, FCW has established itself as the most anticipated spring event by international and local mixology professionals and cocktail lovers, boasting an always-richer schedule. All of this is made possible thanks to the support of important sponsors and partners, such as Campari, Fratelli Branca Distillerie, Ginarte, Marchesi Frescobaldi, Martini&Rossi, Michter’s, Molinari, Plantation Rum, World Class Diageo and more.
FCW selects the best cocktail bars in Florence and Tuscany, and is backed with the patronage of the Municipality of Florence, which will also act as a partner for the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Negroni, the historic Florentine cocktail renowned worldwide.
During the FCW, every night is a party that brings a vivacious vibe to the city’s establishments, all easily reachable by foot or by bicycle (the Mobike service is available, as always). Thus, everyone can enjoy a completely safe mixology experience – based on personal tastes and preferences – in the unique and evocative surroundings of Florence. All of the events and master classes are free-of-charge and open to the public, with the only cost being that of the cocktails.
30 cocktail bars in Florence have been selected to participate in the 2019 FCW – with an increase compared to 2018 – and each establishment will present a cocktail list featuring 4 cocktails crafted for 4 special categories: a Signature Cocktail (a Negroni with a twist), a RiEsco a Bere Italiano, an I Love Bitter and a Green Drink, for which bartenders are given free rein to their creativity to whip up enticing mouth-watering concoctions.
Quality drinking and drinking responsibly will be the common thread between all of the moments of this densely packed weeklong event.
Le novità del 2019
Round Table on Negroni, with the patronage of the Municipality of Florence
Saturday, May 11, there will be an institutional Round Table by the title “The Century of Negroni. History, protagonists and evolution of the most loved Italian cocktail in the world,” with the patronage of the Municipality of Florence, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Negroni. Doing the honours will be Luca Picchi, author of the book “Negroni Cocktail, leggenda italiana,” and some of the most prominent experts of the Italian and international mixology scene: Fulvio Piccinino, Manager of Saperbene.com, expert and writer of Italian spirits, Alessandro Pitanti, Campari Academy Brand Ambassador, Roberta Mariani, Martini Global Ambassador, Mauro Mahjoub from Münich, known in the trade as the “King of Negroni”, and two icons of Italian bartending in London, Salvatore Calabrese “The Maestro” and Peter Dorelli, Educational Officer and National Ambassador UK Bartenders Guild. Guests of honour Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller from London, and David Wondrich from New York, among the main authorities worldwide on cocktail history. The event will be moderated by Federico Quaranta, radio and television host.
Tuscany Cocktail Week | TCW
For the very first time, FCW will also include a selection of 49 Cocktail Bars in Tuscany, which, starting from the week ahead of the event will each present a craft cocktail list consisting of 3 drinks: a creative Signature Cocktail, with which the bartenders will take part in the Final Contest, a Negroni with a twist (to celebrate the 100th anniversary), and an I Love Bitter (Amari/Bitter). At the Final Contest will participate only 10 cocktail bar (1 each city).
FCW Awards Ceremony
The yearly Contest starring the best Florentine bartenders will be substituted with the FCW Awards Ceremony. A party will be held on Sunday May 12th, and for the occasion sponsor companies will award the winning bartenders and cocktails for the different categories.
The final day of this edition is Sunday May 12th, which will also feature the second edition of RiEsco a Bere Italiano, the first edition of the Final Contest of the Tuscany Cocktail Week, the not-to-be-missed Under 25 Young Talent Contest, and the highly anticipated FCW Awards Ceremony.
Not-to-be-missed events
As for previous editions, prominent personalities from the Italian and international mixology scene will take part in the weeklong event, working alongside local bartenders during a series of master classes and night shifts.
Matteo di Ienno, head bartender of Locale Firenze, and Federico Pasian, head bartender of Quaglino’s London, will kick off the FCW on Sunday, May 5 at Locale Firenze serving up a cocktail list dedicated to the 100 years of Negroni, “Peter and Camillo back in Florence.”
But that’s not all, with more exciting events at Locale on Tuesday, May 7 with Antonio Naranjo, Bar Owner of Dr. Stravinsky, Barcelona, and on Thursday, May 8 with “World Class meets The Clumsies” (by World Class Diageo), featuring Vasilis Kristizis of The Clumsies, Athens – 7’ World’s 50 Best Bars 2018.
On Monday, May 6 visit the terrace of Hotel Kraft will host an aperitivo by Marchesi Frescobaldi, while the OOO, The Student hotel Florence will get ready to shake things up with “Bar Milano” (by Martini&Rossi), an event dedicated to Milanese mixology, featuring 11 of the best cocktail bars in Milan, in collaboration with Bartender.it.
Guglielmo Miriello, Bar Manager of Ceresio 7
Camilla Bosatelli, Barlady of 1930 Cocktail Bar
Marco Russo Co-Owner of Mag Cafè, 1930 Cocktail Bar, Backdoor43, Barba, and Iter
Federico Volpe, Bar Manager of Dry
Sossio Del Prete, Bartender of Octavius Bar at The Stage Milano
Yuri Gelmini, Co-Owner of Surfer’s Den
Ivan Patruno, Bar Manager of Bulk Mixology Food Bar
Luca Marcellin, Owner of Drinc. Cocktail & Conversation
Mattia Pastori, Owner and Founder of Non Solo Cocktail
Patrick Greco, Bar Manager of Bulgari Bar
Teo Rizzolo, Head Mixologist of Mandarin Bar & Bistrot
And on Wednesday, May 8 the same location will host a selection of the best bartenders from the
Forte Cocktail Week in Versilia.
Tuesday, May 7 will see Paolo Sanna, Bar Manager of Banana Republic in Rome at Rex for
“Scotland Breeze” (by Molinari), and Wednesday, May 8 Francesco Pirineo, Brand Ambassador
Plantation Italia, will be at Santarosa Bistro for “Cheese pairing with Plantation Rum: an unprecedented encounter between rum and cheese” (by Plantation Rum)
Thursday, May 9 at Palazzo San Niccolò, Luisanna Messeri, writer and television pop chef, will give a talk on Caterina de’ Medici and the tradition of Tuscan spirits, titled “Caterina’s Chests. A short, alcoholic history of a Queen;” which will be followed by an aperitivo by Cultural Salon featuring the works of Florentine artist and designer Marina Calamai.
Friday, May 10 Belmond Villa San Michele will host “Drink your habitat,” with botanist Caterina
Candia and bartenders Erica Rossi and Bledar Ndoci (by Fratelli Branca Distilleries), while at
Empireo of the Plaza Hotel Lucchesi palates will be soothed at “The versatility of Ginarte” (by
Ginarte) with Filippo Sisti, Bar Owner of Talea, Milan.
Saturday, May 11 Soren Krogh, Michetr’s Senior Advisor, will be at Rasputin for the master class “Michetr’s its all about the whiskey” (by Michter’s).
Saturday, May 11 will also see the celebration for the 100 years of Negroni at Hotel Savoy with Salvatore Calabrese, “The Maestro”, straight from London.
On the same day, at the Sala dei Gigli of Palagio di Parte Guelfa, Religion Sociologist Simona Scotti will present “Spirito&Spirits. Religioni e Lifestyles,” a volume that collects the materials of the meeting of the same name organized by AIS – Section of Sociology of Religion, in collaboration with Florence Cocktail Week 2018.
Sunday, May 12 RiEsco a Bere Italiano, the Fair for Italian Liquors, Bitters and Spirits will close the week-long celebrations at Fabbricato Viaggiatori, in Piazza della Stazione 50, where small and larger realities will meet and showcase Italian quality products.
The Tuscany Cocktail Week 2019 Contest and the Young Talent FCW19 Contest will also take place on the same day.
The jury will be composed by: Flavio Angiolillo (Co-Owner Mag Cafè, 1930 Bar, Backdoor43, Barba, and Iter), Babis Kaidalidis (organizer of the Athens Bar Show), David Wondrich (New York bar historian and writer), and journalist Federico De Cesare Viola (Brand Ambassador and Editorial Director for Food&Wine Italia). Moderating the event: Federico Quaranta, Radio and Television Host.
Finally, it will be time for the much-awaited FCW Awards Ceremony, and sponsors will award the winning bartenders and cocktails in the different categories.
Straight from the American Bar at The Savoy in London – 2’ World’s 50 Best Bars 2018 – arrive the Senior bartender Pippa Guy, for the final night shift at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze (by Michter’s).
Adding to this week filled to the brim with events, several restaurants will be organizing a series of themed dinners: every night, at Gurdulù guests can savour a special menu called “Spirito Classico”; Wednesday, May 8 Essenziale will feature “Hops and Chefs, Malts and Bartenders;” and on Thursday, May 9 at Regina Bistecca Tuscan classics will join for “Count Negroni meets Regina Bistecca.”
A number of book presentations and in-depth, themed appointments will complete this already-rich event calendar: Monday, May 6, Federico Bellanca and Marco Gemelli will present the book “Toscana da Bere” at Caffè Concerto Paszkowski. Friday, May 10 at Grand Hotel Cavour it will be the turn of Fulvio Piccinino and his “Amari e Bitter. Storia e produzione dagli speziali ai bartender;” and, on the same day, at Caffè Concerto Paszkowski, Paolo Ponzo will talk about his research on Negroni through the presentation: “Negroni Cocktails by Amedeo Gandiglio.”
Lastly, we designed two fascinating appointments, created specifically for this 2019 edition: the Cocktail Walk, on Tuesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 9, featuring a tour of the cocktail bars taking part in FCW, in collaboration with Le Baccanti; and the Tour of the Historic Cafes on Wednesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 9, in collaboration with Ful Magazine and Ricomincio da Firenze.
Hereby is the complete list stating all the participating cocktail bars and Florentine bartenders, as well as their respective Signature Cocktails.
Cocktail Bar – Bartender – Signature Cocktail
Bitter Bar, Cristian Guitti – Brancamente me ne infischio
Cafè 19.26, Simone Zangirolami – Faites vos jeux
Ditta Artigianale Oltrarno, Ginevra Gabbrielli and Simone Zaccheddu – Il mondo dal Conte
Gilli 1733, Luca Picchi – Hippy Negroni
Gurdulù, Cristina Bini – DownTown
La Menangere, Luca Manni – Un Casto Negroni
Locale, Matteo Di Ienno and Andrea Fiore – Il Conte Timido
Love Craft, Manuel Petretto – Old but Fashion
Pint of View, Lorenzo Pizzorno – La cura per l’Imperatore
Rasputin, Daniele Cancellara – A New Silk Road
HIGH VOLUME BARS
Dome, Lorenzo Gironi and Domenico Varone – Fretta Biscottata
Gesto, Martina Bonci and Mirco Cicchi – Peter in Gesto
Inferno, Italo Mercurio – Alba n’ Florence
MAD – Soul & Spirits, Neri Fantechi – Internazional popolare
Rex, Virginia Ducceschi and Mosé Giordani – Conte di Savoia
Santarosa Bistrot, Davide Nocentini and Maddalena Vannozzi – Diecimila leghe sotto al Conte
Viktoria Lounge Bar, Paolo Marini and Marco Marini – Da ponte a ponte
000 – Student Hotel, Cosimo Tarducci – Around the world
HOTEL BARS
AC Lounge – AC Hotel Firenze by Marriott, Giuseppe Alessandrino – Dolcemente Bitter
Atrium Bar – Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Edoardo Sandri and Simone Corsini – Negroni Completo
Empireo – Plaza Hotel Lucchesi, Lorenzo Bianco and Eleonora Contessi – Camillo
Garibaldino – Garibaldi Blu Hotel, Massimo Maietto – Il Conte Ritorna
Horto Convento, Cosimo Nigro – Estratti di Negroni
Irene Firenze – Hotel Savoy, Denis Giuliani – InfusioNegroni
La Terrazza Rooftop Bar – Continentale Hotel, Diego Rampietti – il Moro
Le Pool Bar – Villa Cora, Mirò Abdel Rahmam – Dolce Amaro
Picteau Cocktail Bar – Hotel Lungarno, Marco Colonnelli and Vincenzo Civita – Il Conte di Picche
The Cloister – Belmomd Villa San Michele, Lorenzo Aiosa – Ada
The Fusion Bar&Restaurant – Gallery Hotel Art, Sacha Mecocci – A Negroni Story
Winter Garden Bar – The St. Regis Florence, Christian Pampo – American Boulevard
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