We’ve gone all Italian for the latest issue of The Cocktail Lovers Magazine. Why? Are you kidding? When it comes to genuine hospitality, Italians win hands down.
Besides, it’s summer and just as we reach for lightweight clothes, so too it is with our drinks – who needs the faff or intensity of the heavy, laborious, wintry cocktails? The relative ease and freshness of aperitivo-style libations matches the season perfectly. Jane Ryan shines a light on the art of the aperitivo and how it features in the daily life of Italians – perhaps only second to coffee, the most important drink of their day. So, naturally we take a break to look into the history of that too.
But it’s not just about the drinks, this issue also plays tribute to the people sharing the cocktail love – both in Italy and abroad. We start with the stalwarts, Peter Dorelli, Salvatore Calabrese and Giuseppe Morandin (above), stop off with Giuseppe Gallo for his roundup of those who have left home to develop their careers elsewhere and continue with Stefano Nincevich’s pick of the names to know in Italy. Women get a shout out too, with Roberta Mariani and Maura Milia giving their views on being Italian women working in the drinks industry in London and Virginia Ducceschi, Virginie Doucet and Solomiya Grytsyshyn share their experiences of how working behind the bar is viewed at home.
We’ve got recipes, including those featuring quintessentially Italian ingredients such as those illustrated here by Clotilde Lataille, plus groovy barware, a sparkling piece on prosecco, natch and the best bars – all with an Italian focus. And this being the centenary of the Negroni, we’re celebrating that too. Want more? Get your copy or start a subscription today – details below.

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Photographs of Peter Dorelli, Salvatore Calabrese and Giuliano Morandin shot at Bar Italia by Lawrence Watson; Aperitivo drinks photographed by Rob Lawson; ingredients illustrations by Clotilde Lataille
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