[:it]Grand Aperitif Gala[:]
[:it]An old slogan from the Olympic period was “Turin never stands still”. Today, there is no better phrase to describe the excitement that has been felt in this city since the distant 2006, the year in which both the people of Turin and the international community realized the potential of the Piedmontese capital, until then considered little more than a gray industrial hub famous for cars and football teams. Today, the trend is very different and the numbers confirm it: in 2015, Turin recorded a number of tourists of around 4 million, a progressive increase that finds its reasons in a renewed and more refined scenario, in an enhancement of the artistic and cultural heritage and, why not, also in a series of events of great resonance that are consolidating over the years. One of these is the Gran Galà dell'Aperitivo, whose first edition will take place on February 25th in the Salone delle Feste of the Hotel Principi di Piemonte, an evening in which to celebrate a ritual, that of the aperitif, born in Turin and from there spread throughout Italy and the world. The event will see as protagonists five of the best bartenders on the national scene, engaged in a reinterpretation of two Vermouth-based cocktails that will be paired with a historical period chosen from the following: the end of the 19th century, Prohibition, the 60s, the 80s/90s, the Future. Each bartender will be assigned a period and two cocktails to perform, with the aim of thinking of and presenting a reinterpretation as if they were behind the bar in that particular historical moment. An event of great charm that winks at history expressed in the most varied forms, from the events that have in some way marked the consumption of alcoholic beverages to the evolution of bartenders' clothing over the years, up to imagining what has not yet been written, that is, the future of the Cocktail and its derivations. Five professionals in the sector will participate in the "challenge" who present themselves with a very high level palmarès:
Mauro Lotti: historic Italian bartender, head barman of the “grande hotel” in Rome for thirty-five years. Guardian of tradition and elegance. Great innovator and fine speaker. Today he is a consultant for Martini and reds and a beacon for the new generations of bartenders.
Rachel Giglioni: virtuoso Florentine bartender, she has come to light in recent years by participating in the most important competitions and winning the prestigious Martini Barman Contest in 2013 with the drink “Giglio”. Today she is co-owner of the Rivalta café in Florence, a point of reference in Tuscany for high-quality mixology.
Walter Gosso: a thoroughbred bartender, after various international experiences he returned to Turin in 2012 with ambitious projects. He immediately stood out by creating a movement of bartenders around him that would be renamed "the Turin school". In 2014 he opened the Mad dog, the first Speakeasy Bar in Turin. In 2015 with his "An American in Turin" he won the Martini Grand Prix, beating out a large international competition.
Federico Tomaselli: cultured Roman bartender, after a successful experience in London he returns to the capital where he is immediately involved and becomes a protagonist of the spring of Roman bartending. In 2015 he is the Italian champion of the Bacardi Legacy and represents Italy in the world grand final in Sydney, achieving an excellent placing. Today he is the barmanager of Porto Fluviale, a new important Roman reality with an international scope.
Diego Ferrari: the aesthete of Italian bartending. Founder of the Facebook group “Cocktail Art”, which collects photos of the creations of the most illustrious bartenders around from all over the world. Creator of a line of low-alcohol cocktails, he is invited all over Europe to talk about his experiences. Today he is also involved in various charitable activities.
During the evening, a refreshment will also be served, designed and created exclusively by the well-known Chef Gabriele Torretto, owner of the La Valle restaurant in Trofarello (TO).[:]
