For two hours Dave took us on a journey of discovery – through the world of acids, brix, polydextrose, glacid, hard water, nitro muddling, clarification (Spinzall 2.0 currently available), carbonation, and the story behind ‘Justino’ (turns out there’s a lot in a name).

Campari Academy are incredibly grateful to those of you who came to join us, and for those who we couldn’t fit in the room (believe us, we tried!!), we’ve included all Dave’s notes and anecdotes below.

Stay curious!

DEMO 1 – AVERNA & LOW ABV

When creating low-abv serves, one of the biggest issues we face is a loss of texture (body and structure) which we usually rely on alcohol and sugar to provide in our cocktails. To combat this let’s introduce you to our first two secret weapons – “Glacid” and “Poly-D”.

“Glacid” is a relatively new approach to adding body and structure to carbonated, low alcohol drinks. “Glacid” is a mix of champagne acid, water and vegetable glycerine (full recipe below). “Poly-D” aka Polydextrose is a complex carbohydrate made from glucose. When added to liquid it adds a similar texture and weight to sugar, but without the sweetness (don’t sleep on Poly-D, this ingredient is huge in the U.S.A bar scene).

For this demo Dave created a highball with Averna as the base, supported by Glacid, Poly-D, and a Celery Seed Syrup, this was then force carbonated. It comes in at 4.53% abv and 37gm/L sugar.

Usually, not adding enough soda to this kind of cocktail will create a drink that is too bitter. Too much soda and the drop in sugar/ABV will render the drink weak and watery. Glycerine is the best solution to these problems. Glacid fixes both issues simultaneously, is easy to jigger, and is shelf stable. A half-ounce (15ml) of glacid lets you make a robust eight-ounce (240 ml) drink with less than two ounces (60ml) of amaro. The large amount of seltzer added to these drinks (165-172 ml) also means they have good carbonation even if you don’t force carbonate them.

37.5mL Averna
15mL Celery Seed Syrup
15mL “Glacid”
80mL “Poly-D Hard Water”
92.5mL Filtered Water

Batch, force carbonate at 45psi, garnish with lemon twist.

500ml Glacid:
298 grams water
15 grams tartaric acid powder
17 grams 88% lactic acid solution
252 grams food-grade vegetable glycerin
Combine, dissolve.

400ml Celery Seed Syrup:
250 grams granulated sugar
275 grams water
12.5 grams celery seeds
Simmer for two minutes. Cool. Strain.

1000mL Poly-D Hard Water:
110 grams polydextrose
890 grams room temp water
Blend

DEMO 2 – WILD TURKEY 101 JUSTINO

The “Justino” (pronounced whoo-stee-no) method creates a clear spirit by blending liquor with fruit, vegetables, or spices, adding the enzyme Pectinex Ultra SP-L (our third secret weapon), and spinning the mix in a centrifuge. Pectinex breaks down fruit structure, allowing for clarification in alcohol, which many enzymes can’t do. Clarified fruit juice adds sugar, acidity, and bitterness, familiar cocktail elements. We’re using Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon with Northern Territory KP Mangos (for acidity) and dried mango (for sweetness).

The Justino was born when Dave wanted a banana cocktail without the thickness of a smoothie. Blending bananas with booze and centrifuging them yielded a clear rum with pure banana flavor. The name stuck after a reporter asked him what to call it, and make sure you ask him about it next time you see him.

750mL Wild Turkey 101
220gm Fresh KP Mango
107gm Dried Mango
3mL Pectinex SP-L

Blend for 20 minutes. Centrifuge in Spinzall 2.0

Once you’ve spun your Justino it’s time to check your sugar and acid, and it often benefits from a dash or two of 20% saline solution. Most Justino’s need a twist (lemon, orange, grapefruit) to seal the deal.

DEMO 3 – ESPOLON BLANCO NITRO MUDDLING

Traditional muddling crushes ingredients to release fresh flavors but also activates polyphenol oxidases (PPOs), enzymes that cause herbs like mint to turn brown and taste muddy.

PPOs have two enemies: alcohol and vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). Liquor (40% alcohol) disables PPOs, while citrus juice slows them down. However, regular muddling isn’t enough—PPOs act before alcohol reaches the leaves.

Our fourth secret weapon is liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen freezes herbs super quick, stopping PPOs and making our herbs brittle, allowing us to powderise them by muddling. After nitro-muddling, we thaw them in liquor to keep the herbs green. We then finish with citrus juice to neutralize PPOs completely.

60mL Espolon Blanco
22.5mL Fresh Lime
18mL Orange Syrup
7gm Parsley
2gm Lemon Myrtle

Add herbs to toby tin with enough liquid nitrogen to freeze. Thoroughly muddle so herbs are fully pulverised. Add tequila first, then remaining ingredients. Shake with one large block, and three small cubes, then fine strain into a chilled coupe.

Orange Syrup:
100gm Navel Orange Juice
78gm Sugar (Assuming OJ is 11 Brix)
Stir

Dave’s nitro-charged pointers:

• Don’t hold the bottom of the tin while muddling
• Herbs must be frozen – use the right amount of liquid nitrogen
• Thoroughly pulverize the herbs
• Add booze first to begin thawing
• Shake on a large cube
• Don’t forget to fine strain out all the fine herbs (and wash your tins really well!!)
• Don’t put nitro in a tin and seal it (you’ll end up with a bomb iykyk)

A huge thankyou to our helpers on the day, who had no idea what they were signing up for. We couldn’t have done it without you:

• Joey Tai
• Kelvin Low
• Elisabetta Luppi
• Kayla Saito
• Jack Somers
• Omar Alvarez
• Seb Borja
• Eoin Kenney

See you at the next Campari Academy!!

This session took a deep dive into what fermentation is, what it isn’t, then analyzed different approaches to fermenting for flavour creation, and things to consider when nurturing a fermentation culture in in your venue, or at home.

Bartenders were treated to some delicious libations & insights from some local legends to bring Sharon’s wealth of knowledge together with how to apply it to their bars.

View or download the Booklet from our Masterclass:

Nature to Nurture, with Sharon Flynn.

DOWNLOAD

The word itself comes from the latin verb “aperire”, which means “to open”. The first ever aperitivi were actually invented for medicinal purposes, using the bitter herbs vinum hippocraticum (devised by the legendary medic Hippocrates, who to this day is the namesake of the oath sworn by modern doctors). These herbs allowed for the stomach to relax and kickstarted a feeling of peckishness. Ancient aperitivi were prescribed to help balance the stomach or encourage a solid diet for those who needed to put on some weight. Today’s modern day vermouth is a direct descendent of the original which was invented in Turin in the late 18th Century, and was initially served in the morning, to kickstart a good day of healthy eating.

The modern idea of aperitivo can be traced back to the dawn of the 1900s in Italy: the country’s welfare was on the rise, productivity was increasing, working days shifted to a more standard structure, progressing towards the now profusely used nine-‘til-five. Aperitivo began being associated with a particular moment of the day, the break between work and home. And coincidentally, not just with a single product, but with drinks that started implementing more ingredients. The key element, nevertheless, remained the bitter-ish, sharp notes that stayed true to the original’s intentions.

In Southern Europe, Café Chantants in France and Caffè Letterari in Italy, where one could have a glass and discuss intellectual topics, became staples. Throughout the decades, aperitivo carved its way into the fabric of social habits: Italy kept its leading role on the subject, especially the northern regions, where the iconic concoctions we are familiar with now were invented (Americano, Spritz). Milan claimed the title as the aperitivo capital city, with Campari leading the way towards progressively perfected recipes: bitter and vermouth proved to be the perfect combination in anticipation of a meal (it’s the Milano-Torino we know nowadays, strenghtened into the Negroni by a Florence-born Count, in 1919).

From its aristocratic birth, aperitivo moved on to become a people’s favourite, regardless of their conditions or status, and food started to play an important role. Since the original goal was to stimulate the appetite, and not quench it, a variety of nibbles were (and still should be) traditionally served to go alongside the drinks (without overtaking the actual meal that is going to come later). Classic aperitivo snacks would be chips, olives, peanuts, taralli (traiditional crunchy bread rings) and sandwiches: needless to say, they would be savoury, mouth-watering bites to anticipate what’s to come.

Yet, a heartfelt and clear downfall was suffered by aperitivo, going into the new millennium. As a paradox, the very same Milan that led by example, witnessed decreasing quality and cheapening habits up until the first decades of 2000’s. For a small fare, bars would offer a round of poorly mixed alcoholic solutions, paired with endless amount of buffet food: it was the infamous apericena, an aperitivo turned into dinner, that Italians soon learned to forget (a low price almost necessarily implies the same level of quality, if the quantity is that huge).

Today, the attention is thankfully back to living the aperitivo moment (you go for an aperitivo, you don’t just drink one) for what it is: a laid back occasion, to release the stress of a working day, and enter dinner time in the best fashion. Italian bartenders are bringing back the classics (from a vermouth highball, to Campari Seltz) with new exciting twists to accommodate and excite the next generation – at the same time as getting guests back into enjoying the best things in life. Attention to detail and a focus on simplicity and quality is back and thriving. It’s the way it was supposed to be from the beginning: democratic, easygoing and comfortable. Aperitivo is back to its original form; maybe even better.

Carlo Carnevale

It all started outside of a bar. Professor Daniel Hurewitz, from New York Hunter College, took Campari Academy on a time travel through the major events in New York’s drinking culture that led to bars being a cornerstone in the gay movement’s evolution: “Bars operated like churches in other cultures for the LGBTQ+ community. Over time, the significance of the relation between freedom and hangouts evolved”.

During the 19th century in the United States bars existed principally for men, fueling a bachelor subculture that dominated saloons and parlours. “The economic revolution allowed men to live alone, at least fifty percent of the male population in New York City was single. Saloons were their reward,” comments Hurewitz. Bars featured entertainment and cameraderie: drinking, playing cards, games, conversation. These places were the hubs where men found out about jobs, accomodation, politics: “Working class social life thrived in saloons, and its members proved their masculinity there, either winning at games, or buying drinks”. Occasionally, female charachters entered saloons: they were commercial sex workers.

Bars were actually hang out places where commercial intimate intercourse was offered regularly. Among the people available for men to have sex with there were the so called “fairies”: men dressed and behaving as women. Hurewitz adds, “Saloon patrons wouldn’t necessarily consider the gender of a partner for the night, as long as the person they were having sex with was idenitified as feminine. There were bars in the Lower East Side specifically designed to find fairies: they were well known figures in this period. They weren’t loved, but yet, accepted”.

Restaurant and club owners, sniffing out the opportunity, started promoting themselves as open to having gender nonconforming performers. Probably the most successful one at the time was Jean Malin: a son of immigrants, he had tried working on Broadway as a drag act, more or less failing, but in the early 1930s was invited to be the Master of Ceremonies in a speakeasy called Club Abbey. “The promoters saw that having a performer like that as the main attraction would draw a crowd. He wouldn’t appear as a female impersonator, but as a (so called then) “pantsy”, so recogninzed as gay. He would heckle and joke with guests, pretty much like drag queens nowadays. It was a show.” As Arthur Pollock of Brooklyn Daily Eagle worte in his column, “I don’t know what Jean Malin is, but he’s clever”. Malin, not even in his thirties, sadly died in a car accident a few years later, making it impossible for following generations to fully understand his impact.

But right when fairies and pantsies were part of the city’s social texture, things abruptedly changed. In 1933 the Volstead Act was officially overturned, marking the end of Prohibition. This led to new rules for the places that wanted to (re)open: in order for a bar to keep the license to sell alcohol, sexual amorality wouldn’t have been permitted. “Homosexuality specifically, was not allowed, otherwise the bar would shut down. A new phase started, where segregated night life was in action. Homosexuals were binded to specific illegal bars, ran by people who had lost jobs with the end of Prohibition. Arrests and raids were daily happenings, and queer nightlife became much more dangerous”.

Within these hidden locations, nevertheless, good times were lived, and a strong community was being born. “Everyone going to these bars was facing risks. So segregation brought people to understand that facing risks would allow them to meet other individuals that shared their same beliefs and identity. Solidarity and political mindfulness were nurtured in dedicated bars, and the whole homosexual community grew stronger: gays and lesbians were bonding, very often because they would count on each other and pretend to be straight couples if raids happened”.

The middle of the 1960s saw the very first public protest for gay liberation, focusing on LGBTQ+ members being allowed in public spaces. The energy, the awareness, the change happening, it all merged in 1969: “We can easily say, a bar is where the LGBTQ+ movement really came alive. Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village, was home to the now famous Stonewall Riots; the gay community found the courage and pride to stand tall against the law enforcement abuse they were suffering consistently, and right on the doorstep of this drinking parlour, a revolution began. The Riots are why Pride is celebrated every year, it’s the determinaton to have a recogninzed space in public, and to be separated maybe, but not used as a political instrument”.

Bars are the gathering places where any community is formed, and a sense of belonging is shaped. “The LGBTQ movement finds bars as points of reference, the heart of gay neighbourhoods. The stage from where it’s possible to claim what’s right: it was a desire to be left alone, at the beginning. Nowadays, it is a desire to be considered and appreciated”.

Culture is the key angle from which Kirsten looks at the scene. It hasn’t always been that easy, and still, there’s a fair amount of rooted challenges to face: “Scandinavians are not famous for hospitality, and there’s a huge cultural element to it. We don’t have a natural approach to openness, back in the ‘70s most Danes literally never went out. Now we are more cosmopolitan, but we like doing things that make us feel safe, comfortable. We also like simplicity, you can clearly understand it if you look at our design: straight, white, no fuss. K-Bar is traditional, but twisting towards a more evolved, European style. And I always enforce good behaviour, which is not common, because Danes are not used to going out, so they’re not always sophisticated…”.

Kirsten’s hospitality journey began quite early, and has been a major presence in her life: “I spent my whole adulthood in hospitality: I was studying film and television at Copenhagen University, and got a side job in a night club’s bar. I loved the rock and roll side of it. I was thrilled by the feeling that I would never spend two hours that would resemble each other: from opening to closing, I would do from A to Z, covering a whole existence in one shift. The possibilities of hospitality have no limits, and that’s what probably made me fall in love with it”.

Twenty years later, she’s still surfing the wave brilliantly, managing to keep up with changing times and guests. “I think it’s important to feel restless, in a positive way. If you feel too comfortable, it’s wrong. You have to be a result of time, trends and tendencies. I’m not fashion oriented, but I keep myself informed, influenced, I go to movies, I try to keep myself updated. In this way, changes will naturally come to the business. I remember when hipster movement started out: I never decided I would implement it in the bar, but I definitely absorbed it. It’s about feeling the small changes, the small things that integrate my vision”.

Needless to say, the whole hospitality community sees Kirsten as part of its backbone. If you want to really have a glimpse of what Copenhagen’s scene evolved into, K-Bar is the address to look for. “I don’t know if I have, or had any influence. But surrounding businesses ask me how I did that, staying open for twenty years. And I can point out a few reasons: I never pulled back, I always stuck to quality, and tried to keep myself and my team on our toes. This fair amount of experience allows me to be more confident now. For instance, if I suddenly go through a sales low, I know it can be coincidence, so I don’t panic. At the beginning I would lose my mind. And I realized nothing is more important that staying true to your DNA: it’s easy to divert, but identity is key”.

There’s no recipe, nor formula to sculpt the identity of a bar and make it clear. But a tiny idea that permeates the place and Kirsten’s belief: “That’s something I love to describe as K-Bar-ish: a new traditionalism. It’s taking care of the classic, both flavour wise and hospitality, but giving it a fresh vibe. I push for open-mindedness, to be open and positive, to encourage a mixed crowd. But I never lose sight of the basics, techniques and ideas you must know, regardless. It’s like giving a twist to tradition, and that makes the bar survive”.

Whilst there is a disparity between food and drink in Denmark ,with the scales famously weighing towards the former: Michelin star restaurants are not hard to find in the country, whilst high profile bars are much rarer. The reason for this is something to be addressed: “All chefs in Denmark are educated at school, with a proper trainee education, that’s why it’s booming. Bartenders are not granted the same programs, we are self-taught, and that makes it much more difficult. But I do think that gastronomical success keeps us to be better, to learn, hospitality wise as well: waiters in a Michelin star are literally perfect, and this makes us bartenders and bar hosts look up to them, to take the extra step”.

So, culture and education, two fundamental aspects that Kirsten took as both her inspiration and her mission. Two things that keep being essential in a world that still sees a woman running a bar as something unusual. “It has a lot to do with upbringing. My father was very conservative, but still, he always told me and my sister that we needed to be educated, warned us to be ready to work twice as much to fight idiots, and not to take it personally. He was right. It was really important to me to get respect, not to demonstrate or show off. It was a matter of making others understand what I had to say: I did my best, and I tried to do the right thing every single day”. What about the future? “I think it’s changing. Upbringing is changing, education is focusing on these problems and is pushing to face them. And the movements and trends are doing their job: the more we speak about it, the better”.

Let’s start with diversity, which you can say represents the “what” in this discussion. Most of us understand what diversity is on a superficial level; it is the characteristics and distinctions that identify us – and separate us – such as gender identity, age, nationality, ethnicity or sexual orientation – but on a deeper level it also includes socioeconomic background, religion and education, to name a few. At this point in time, I think most businesses would agree that having a diverse team is an asset – regardless of the motivation behind – and in best case studies, you’ll often find that diverse workplaces are considered better to work for, enjoy higher staff retention and also higher revenues.

But, because there is a but, and an important one, you can also have a workplace or an environment that is diverse, with a team from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences, and not reap any of those benefits – very often because there is no inclusivity. So what does that mean? Inclusivity is essentially the “how” in this equation. It’s creating and nurturing an environment where people – regardless of differences and backgrounds – feel both welcomed and valued. It’s about developing and accommodating the diverse group of individuals you now employ, encouraging and advancing them on equal terms and with the same opportunities. The tricky part can sometimes be that it also means to change old practices that unfairly benefit only some, or challenge unconscious biases that are inherent in all of us – because as we’ve seen in the past – it’s perfectly possible to be inclusive but not diverse.

If you want to foster inclusivity, it requires not only commitment – it also needs thoughtfulness, understanding and intent. Most importantly, it relies on empathy; the ability to understand someone else’s point of view without the interference of your own. I think this is where the challenge lies for many of us – not because we don’t want to be openminded and inclusive individuals – but because our own insecurities often prevent us from asking for help when we come across topics or problems we don’t fully understand. Especially with sensitive topics, which ironically, are the most important to discuss openly if we want to cultivate positive change. Understanding the distinction between diversity and inclusivity, is to understand the importance of both, and how they equally need our time and commitment. Being different is something we should celebrate, not feel intimidated by, and creating spaces that encourage this is not only important – it is the future.

On an individual level, it means being more self-aware of our own personal biases and keeping them in check. The realization that there are several ways to achieve something is an important lesson to learn, but it can also be a hard lesson to learn.
Progress often comes through trial and error, but in today’s environment, that can sometimes be a rare luxury to come by. On a bigger scale, it means having the courage to ask ourselves the difficult questions around the current status of our industry, and stop making excuses when we realise the answers.

Monica Berg

JERRY THOMAS SPEAKEASY – Arguably where it all began. This speakeasy bar opened in 2010 (pretty much the only one existing in Italy at the time), breaking ground for the new mixology wave to sweep the country in the next decade and beyond. Alessandro Procoli, Antonio Parlapiano, Roberto Artusio and Leonardo Leuci can easily be considered the founding fathers of the contemporary Italian bar movement, having opened the doors to classic cocktails, rediscovered ingredients and vintage hospitality. With its dim-lights, Prohibition allure, top notch classics and a remarkable training program, Jerry Thomas is to be considered THE benchmark for modern drinking in Rome.

FRENI&FRIZIONI– Punk is not dead, and for a sip of urban energy this is the place to visit. Opened in what used to be a garage, Freni is an iconic hangout, buzzing with vibrant crowds from aperitivo hours, until late night. Managed by the energetic Riccardo Rossi, it’s impressively both high volume and high quality: combining both classics and seasonal signature’s. The latter, always focused on modern and enticing themes (Pac-Man, anyone?), to be enjoyed on the tiny square in front, now part of the bar’s identity. Bonus: Riccardo’s dog, Fonzie, is the cutest thing you’ll see in the day.

DRINK KONG – Back to the future, following the Kong himself: Patrick Pistolesi, world renowned bartender, opened the bar in 2018, and it quickly became a must visit for anyone coming to Italy, let alone Rome. Futuristic in its Blade Runner-themed design aesthetics, nostalgic with its mellow vibe and arcade videogames. The drinks are playful, and should you fancy a bite, then this is the perfect place to enjoy both combined. Make sure you stop by all the spaces within this bar, because as you’ll soon see – there is always more to discover in this a one-of-a-kind addition to the Roman nightlife.

THE COURT – Matteo Zed, enlightened amaro connoisseur, came back to his hometown to dust off hotel hospitality in the Eternal City. The Court at Palazzo Manfredi is a secluded gem, with its unique laidback approach to luxury: it’s the new idea of Dolce Vita. Overlooking the majestic Colosseo, hosted by Zed’s and his amazing team, this is the place to be for a taste of five stars drinks – and if you can make it for sunset – you’ll never want to leave.

BANANA REPUBLIC – For almost thirty years now (opened in 1993), this tiny, two floor parlour has been the go-to address for comfort food, everyday drinks and great vibes. Owner Paolo Sanna started his career climbing up the ladder the old school way: from washing dishes to managing the floor, never losing sight of the true, down-to-earth ways, what being a host truly means. This is the place where the local bartender community and the bars in Rome started networking, before moving throughout Italy as whole. Bonus: polenta fritta will blow your mind.

Carlo Carnevale

The Northern side of the boot-shaped peninsula has been under domination from the bordering Austria, for about seven decades, starting in 1797: austrian soldiers found Veneto wine, in the North East, too strong for their likings, hence diluted it down with sparkling water. It was the origin of modern Spritz, that Aperol trademarked with it’s dreaming, sunset-like orange nuances. Moving West and for the same reason, to these days, it is still possible to ask for bianchin spruzzà in the hardcore neighbourhood cafes of Milan: Campari (born and raised in the Madonnina city) mixed with white bubbly wine, and you’re good to go. Believe it or not, often earlier than noon. 

England never really had stable influence on Italy, but managed to transfer some of it’s uses, through sea. Tuscany, the central, hill-spotted region, worldwide renowned for its astonishing wines, is also home to a less known local beverage: the Ponce, a mispronunciation of the english punch, that inhabitants from the harbour city of Livorno stuck to. Originally derived from the british grog, that locals tasted once Livorno’s port opened to Royal Navy’s ships, this rooted twist combines sugar, lemon peel, coffee (that substites the original tea) and the signature Rum Fantasia (alcool, sugar, caramel), created to resemble the eccesively expensive rhum agricole. It is to be drinked in the non-negotiable gottino glass, thicker and wider than a regular Espresso cup.

Southern Italy includes its pictoresque islands, and is birthland to a hard-to-believe number of amaros and liqueurs, that still to these days are easy to find homemade, handed down from generations to generations. Sardinia, the oniric mix of emerald waters and bare rock mountains, is where you can find the legendary Mirto: produced there since 1700, though its mysterious origin traces back to ancient Greeks (and Gods), this dark, balsamic, iconic myrtle-infused post-meal booze was known to be boarded by sardinian pirates during their trips to the facing Corsica, attempting to escape the law. Now a cornerstone of the not-to-be-missed agriturismo experience, for those who dare, green Mirto, made with leaves infusion (the classic one comes from the berries) is a one of a kind sipping magic.

Back on land, Naples has a full bag of tricks to choose among: at the beginning of 20th century, it was not uneasy to find walking water-selling men, across the bustling streets of the historical center, as they would serve non alcoholic, lemon aromatized beverages to fight heat and help digestion of the famously luxurious neapolitan street food. Today, the mythic gazzosa is still served in a downtown kiosk: nothing more than water, lemon juice and bicarbonate, nicknamed a cosce aperte due to the mechanic leg-splitting movement it forces, not to get wet. A tad towards the South, shine the golden reflexes of eternal Limoncello, best seller of the nearby Amalfi Coast and Piana di Sorrento (where story goes, was invented in a tiny guest house), building on the indigenous varieties of lemon, Ovale or Sfusato, known to be the best in the world. Don’t forget, though: Babbà, the traditional sweet, spongy dessert, is traditionally served drenched in rum, as neapolitan chefs learned from French royals during their domination in ‘700. It’s just another way for beverage intake.

Carlo Carnevale