How important to you is the sharing and exchange of experience in the profession?
-I think it is fundamental. Since the beginning of "the Cybartender," my website, I have always said that growth , whether professional or life, comes through the exchange of information and experience. To do this work, at least when I started, there was the "famous" gavetta, which was used to grow and learn one step at a time, following and "stealing" the trade from experienced barmen or bartenders. Unfortunately, today this practical side of growth is missing, on the other hand, however, the possibility of increasing the "theoretical" one has increased
You were one of the most far-sighted and quickest communicators in sensing all the potential offered by the "net," and in fact your first site dates back as far as 1997, a time when there was hardly any talk online about cocktails. Then you perhaps became somewhat disamored with this medium, but I understand that today you have resumed it starting from another point of view. Can you tell us a little bit more about what kind of communication you are offering today?
-I actually never lost interest in the Internet or my website. I had to put it aside a bit due to lack of time, either for family reasons or for work reasons. In the meantime, however, I have published a couple of books, I am setting up a blog, and sooner or later I will get my hands on the site again. I must say that the advent of social networks such as Facebook has somewhat slowed down the development of sites, which have become more "institutional" and less active than before. I also offer in my area and in Motecarlo courses for barmen, together with Alan Arrigo
In your bio you state that it was from the age of 14 that you began to understand this sector to make it a profession, and that it was already a passion of yours. You have trained and grown professionally in Italy and abroad and have ranged in the most diverse situations from large hotels to golf clubs, the complexity of situations you have had to deal with allow you today to be a highly sought-after consultant both for the opening of new venues, staff training, and the creation and organization of events and evenings. How do you operate, on your own and leaning on existing structures, or do you have your own team of collaborators?
-It depends on the situations and the type of request. It happened to me years ago that I had to open a venue in Prague, and I moved there for eight months. It was a very good experience that made me grow professionally. In that case I went alone, because I had to create a team on the spot. Other times , particularly if there is to relaunch a venue or do staff training it may happen that we go as a "team" with colleagues and friends with whom I collaborate or have collaborated in the past
Today you hold the prestigious position of head bartender at the Vista Palace Hotel in Monte Carlo in the Principality of Monaco, do you consider it a point of arrival, a stage in your professional career or what else? What kind of cocktails do you offer and prefer to offer these days? What "pulls" the most?
-Workingin Monte Carlo certainly prestigious, although then it does not change much from the kind of work in luxury hotels in any other city . I have had experience in the principality before (at the restaurant "the novecento" and at "bistroquet"). At the Vista Palace I have created a new drink list that is a little more varied than is usual in this type of hotel and in this area. I included ingredients such as jam, chili, saffron and others. Obviously to many it may seem trivial, actually in this situation it was a small revolution. Champagne, of course, takes center stage
I know that you were recently loudly called back to the city of San Remo, where you ran your famous Pravda Café (the absolute landmark of fine drinking in San Remo for many years) for an evening entitled "One Night in Pravda." How did it go? What feelings did you have? A bit of nostalgia, or are you one of those who always looks forward and little back?
-The"nostalgic" evening was born a bit for fun. I met some of my "old" customers who asked me to have a reunion. We were hosted by a venue in Bresca Square in San Remo (Aighesè Bresca).The evening went so well that we repeated it for every Friday and Saturday of the month (I was on vacation) Nice to see that people follow you regardless of the location, and absolutely fun to work among friends
What keeps your passion for this profession alive after danti years of operation and so many satisfactions achieved? After all, by now you might be sitting on your laurels a bit, but that doesn't seem to be your intention, does it?
-It's hard to sit still these days. Stimulation comes from new things . I am not a lover of routine, when there is nothing more to learn I get bored, then I try new things. At the moment there are a few projects in the pipeline. One of them in collaboration with a very active company in the field of liquor. I am talking about PICA, with which you will probably see me around Italy (and beyond) a bit
For those who would like to make contact:
www.cybartender.it
https://www.facebook.com/TheCybartender?fref=ts
barman1@cybartender.it
Interview by Monica Palla
