Hot on the heels of the success of its previous editions, Florence Cocktail Week promises to shake things up again in the city from April 30 to May 6, with a focus on drinking well and responsibly.
Ditta Artigianale Oltrarno, La Belle Ame cocktail
Organized by Paola Mencarelli and Lorenzo Nigro, the weeklong event serves up masterclasses, gatherings and night shifts aimed at international and local cocktail lovers and professional mixologists.
21 cocktail bars have been selected to participate in the 2018 edition with each establishment presenting 4 custom cocktails crafted especially for Florence Cocktail Week and the resident bartender’s own signature cocktail, which will enter the contest for the winning drink. Some bars are catering for families with non-alcoholic options.
Pint of View’s Purple Sabbath
On May 4, the focus will be on Italian spirits with a lounge bar showcasing the country’s finest at the Franco Zeffirelli Foundation, while on May 6, judges will decide the winning cocktail for this edition of Florence Cocktail Week at Sala Vanni. 2019 marks the centenary of the Negroni, invented in Florence, and the city welcomes Mauro Mahjoub, known in the trade as the “Negroni King” from Munich’s Boulevardier Bar during FCW18. On May 5, Philip Bischoff from Singapore’s Manhattan Bar will be behind the bar at the Four Seasons Hotel.
But it’s not all about highbrow bar-tending: the team at Pint of View will host a homemade cocktails-themed class on May 1, designed for everyday Don Drapers who have the stocked bar cart, but lack the special equipment and don’t want to fuss over frills. Booking required; email daniele.cancellara@gmail.com for more information.
The bars participating in this year’s Florence Cocktail Week are Atrium Bar – Four Seasons Hotel, Bitter Bar, Ditta Artigianale Oltrarno, Empireo – Plaza Hotel Lucchesi, Gilli 1733, Gurdulù, Harry’s Bar, Inferno, La Ménagère, Le Pool Bar – Villa Cora, Locale, MAD Souls & Spirits, Manifattura, Osteria del Pavone, Picteau Lounge Bar – Lungarno Hotel, Pint of View, Rasputin, The Cloister – Belmond Villa San Michele, The Fusion Bar – Gallery Hotel Art, Viktoria Lounge Bar, Winter Garden Bar – The St. Regis Florence.
For more information and the full list of events, visit www.florencecocktailweek.it or follow and take part in the Instagram action @FlorenceCocktailWeek #FCW18.
