Niccolo Amadori is the bar manager of Alto Rooftop in Cervia. He makes us two cocktails: one with gin and dry vermouth, and the second with a fino mix of vermouth and honey sour mix.
Niccolo introduce yourself
I grew up in the restaurant business. My family has been working in the industry since 1970 and, since I was a child, I have lived among restaurants and hotels. At 17, I started my first season, while I was attending linguistic high school. After graduating, I moved to Milan to work at Ceresio 7 where I was able to build my first connections in the bar industry. It was a short but intense experience, which made me realise how much I still had to learn.Later I moved to Australia, where I worked at the Bar Conte, in Surry Hills. It was an Italian cocktail bar with a strong focus on the liquors of our country and Negroni. I became a very young head bartender, taking responsibility for managing the bar, selecting spirits and developing the cocktail menu.The next stop was New York, where I worked at Mace with Nico de Soto and, at the same time, with Takuma Watanabe. Shortly after, Takuma entrusted me with the role of bar manager of his new project, L’Americana. I had the opportunity to contribute not only to the menu, but also to the identity of the place, from the choice of name to the music and the atmosphere. It was an extremely intense period, which profoundly influenced my way of seeing this job. In parallel with my professional career, in 2021 I founded ALTO Cocktail Festival, a project born from the desire to give greater visibility to the culture of mixing in Romagna. I wanted to contribute to the growth of the local scene and show that our territory can also express an interesting and ambitious proposal in the Italian panorama of the bar. Today I’m a bar manager at ALTO Rooftop, in Cervia. It is a project in which I can combine hospitality, research, creativity and entrepreneurship to build something recognisable and enhance the territory through an international vision.
The classic you want to show us
Whisky Highball
30ml of Japanese Whisky
Top with Soda
Lemon Essential Oil
The bar you dream of
The bar of my dreams would be a place without compromise, where every detail has a meaning, but nothing is forced. I imagine a space where architecture, music, cooking and mixing dialogue naturally. A place capable of offering technically impeccable cocktails and at the same time making anyone feel at ease, without complexity becoming a barrier.
What do you do in your time off
Actually I keep myself pretty much occupied. But the short time I have some space for myself, I like to do some sport and spend time with my family. Of course I love to travel, but more than travelling I really love travelling to discover new places like not just countries but I mean bars and restaurants. I really like to go eat at Michelin star restaurants, because in my opinion they helped me a lot opening my mind to new flavours and combinations.
The spirit you like the most
Depends on the mood, I don’t have a preference. This year I’m more enthusiastic with fortified wines like Sherry and vermouth for example. I believe they are versatile and can fit in almost any cocktail and off course low abv if you like to drink a lot as I do.
What makes a good cocktail
A good cocktail must first of all be good to drink. It can have an incredible technique, rare ingredients and a memorable presentation, but if the taste balance is missing, everything else loses meaning. To me, less is better. So, few ingredients, but you will need to feel all of them. Except for the geeky part, a good cocktail needs to be served with a smile.
What ingredient do you enjoy using in a cocktail
I like to work with local ingredients, especially with plant products, aromatic herbs and seasonal raw materials from the territory, but also with international ingredients that I bring with me from experiences gained abroad. I always try to follow the seasonality of the products: you will never see a peach drink in winter. In fact, I believe that respecting nature’s timing is essential to really enhance each ingredient and keep its identity recognisable.
The signature cocktail you want to show us
Litchi
42,5ml of Dry Vermouth
40ml of Fino Sherry
2,5ml of Amontillado Sherry
5ml of Jasmine Liqueur
5ml of Vodka
10ml of Lychee Water
Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender
There are professionals who work with great passion and competence even in cities that rarely end up at the centre of international conversation. I highly suggest interviewing Jimmy Bertazzoli from Aguardiente, Marina di Ravenna and Francesco Ismenghi from Racine, Rimini.