Lodi's Blush lounge recipe explained by Diego Ferrari. One so fond of cocktails that he has fifteen tattooed on his skin
by Stefano Nincevich
May 21, 2012
Diego Ferrari of Lodi's Blush has cocktails tattooed on his skin. This is not a figure of speech, but the unvarnished truth. In just a few years, his epidermis, in shades of Dracula's, has been colored with fifteen themed tattoos: a pinup girl soaking in a martini glass, a Polynesian glass, a grouse (cock-tail). And then a parafernalia consisting of a shaker, measuring cup, lemon, perforated absinthe spoon, tattoo and cocktail machine, and the Nottigham Forest logo of Dario Comini, whom she considers her mentor. You may have guessed it: making cocktails for Diego Ferrari is all about the skin. This passion has carried it as a dowry to the various venues where he has mixed, from Lodi to London and back again. But more than anything, more than his Tattoo Machine Cocktails or drinks accompanied by curare flowers, what has always fascinated him about this profession is the cult of hospitality. Hospitality at the core "I detest cold environments, the ones that when you walk in you feel helpless as if you were standing naked in the Bronx. I like to make myself available to others, and on this ideal I have based all our work." At Blush, hospitality translates into small gestures that manage to capture the audience's heart. If the guest is confused about which distillate to choose for after dinner, the bartender in charge takes a break, collects a selection of 4-5 bottles from the counter and brings them to the customer's table where he offers tastings of this or that product. The tasting is paired with a selection of chocolate (in the case of rum) or taralli for whiskeys. "We don't have a selection of unmatched spirits, but we try to enhance the good products of the house. Two factors count above all others: knowing the products inside out and knowing how to promote them elegantly." As the slogan said: you don't need a big brush, but a big brush. It changes face when needed The Blush, a lounge and restaurant that is beautiful inside and less so outside considering it overlooks a busy boulevard, is the result of a masterful redesign, completed last summer, by architect Alberto Scorletti. One hundred and twenty square meters with soft lighting, in which there is a distinctive wavy-shaped counter with three workstations and leather sofas for a total of 42 seats. "The space," says Diego Ferrari, "is modular. The sofa area is often used to host celebration parties. Three times out of four table guests order a bottle, but it is not unusual for them to ask for a cocktail. One company happened to order 30 different mixes." When the counter is taken by storm (on weekends it reaches peaks of 400 cocktails) they redistribute assignments between counter and lounge, but without rushing. "We are not a cocktail factory, we try to please everyone quickly, but we always focus on the craftsmanship of the proposal. To work well, in the interest of the customer, it is necessary to take the right time." It should be noted that among the most popular pieces in the Ferrari collection and its countermate Fabio Soresini's, there are cocktails that are easy for those who make them and those who taste them. These include the Big Apple (a sour presented in old fashion made with apple vodka and Midori), the Fonzie (Montenegro, lemon juice, ice pilé, maraschino cherry) and the Spritz, which on Sunday nights alone makes 50 percent of the orders. Prices average around 8 euros, except for some of Diego Ferrari's workhorses that go as high as 12 to 14 euros. In the specials section we find the Vendemmia Drink, a vodka drink with grape must and cranberry juice added. And then there are Dario Comini's registered trademarks such as drinks accompanied by curare flowers and the Flower Daiquiri Frozen: dark rum and cranberry with edible flowers. A tribute to Flower Power.
