The bartenders of the best cocktail in the world on tour in Italy. Two four-handed “mixology nights” held in the Bvlgari Hotels in Milan and Rome. Protagonists are the bartenders of Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City, recently named the best bar in the world by the World Fifty Best Bars, which revealed its ranking on October 22nd in Madrid. So on Monday 28 October the bar manager of the Bvlgari Hotel Milano, Patrick Greco, performed behind the bar with the head bartender of Handshake Speakeasy, Brad Elizalde. Also present at the evening were the co-owners of the Mexican restaurant, Marcos di Battista and Rodrigo Urraca. And on October 31st, the repeat at the Bvlgari Bar, on the fifth floor of the Hotel in Rome. For the occasion, “the Handshake” created the limited edition drink “Milano-Roma” – with Gin Peter in Florence, fig leaves, Di Battista bitter red vermouth, coconut and orange – dedicated to the two cities, which will remain on the menu in both Bvlgari Bars for just one month and which will also allow those who were unable to attend the two evenings and will not be able to travel to Mexico City to try a “world champion” drink. Among the other cocktails offered during the Milanese evening created by Handshake Speakeasy are the “Di Battista Spritz”, the “Di Battista Shakerato” (no, the exponent of the Five Star Movement has nothing to do with it, it is the name of one of the owners of the Mexican restaurant) , “Basil Garibaldi”; edited by the Bvlgari Bar: “4 Quarters”, “Rose in Florence”, “Tomatista”.
Handshake Speakeasy, located in the Colonia Juàrez neighborhood of Mexico City, earned a double title this year: best bar in North America 2024 and the world according to The 50 Best Bars ranking. Inspired by the Prohibition era, the venue offers a two-story experience with an aesthetic that recalls the charm of Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”. The drinks menu may appear minimalist at first glance, but thanks to head bartender Eric Van Beek’s advanced culinary techniques, each cocktail is a complex creation requiring up to 48 hours to prepare. At the center of the bar is a hidden laboratory, run by Yiyi Aparicio, where the team experiments daily. The bar also produces its own bitter, Di Battista, in honor of one of the co-owners.
Patrick Greco discovered his passion as a child and, with clear ideas about his future profession, started working in some bars on the Romagna Riviera. In 2001 he attended the Flair Academy and participated in numerous specialization courses to refine his techniques. In 2008 he arrived at the Bvlgari Hotel Milano where he could unleash his creativity. In 2013 he took on the role of Bar Manager, putting his experience at the service of the education and training of the Bvlgari Bars.
Under his leadership, in 2024, the Bar of the Bvlgari Hotel Milano was awarded as one of the best hotel bars by the Bargiornale Barwards and was cited as one of the best hotel cocktail bars in Italy by the Gambero Rosso Guide.