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“Italians do it better”: word from the great Italian bartenders abroad

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“Italians do it better” is the name of the new column of MT Magazine that wants to tell the world of the international bar seen from outside Italy. The main faces of Italian mixology on the scene in Barcelona, London, the United States and the Far East will do it.

The importance of Italian hospitality abroad is now undeniable, perhaps it has always been this way. The bar, in particular, is a sector that is experiencing exponential growth even inespecially thanks to the bartenders born in Italy, but who became stars outside of it. Leaving aside for a moment the equally valid role of our compatriots in the kitchens of the world, we decided to focus on the individual stories of the Italian protagonists behind the counters of cocktail bars around the planet. 

Italians do it better
photo @mrporter

It certainly cannot be a coincidence, after all, that three of the top ten bars in the world are Italian, but they are abroad, in countries far away from ours but evidently fans of our unique style of approaching things. “Italians do it better” it is a provocation that arises spontaneously after the proclamation of The World's 50 Best Bars, the most recognized international bar ranking, which last October in Madrid saw the mexican cocktail bar Handshake Speakeasy climb to the absolute roof of mixology, followed closely by Bar Leone Of Lorenzo Antinori in Hong Kong (second) and from Sips Of Simone Caporale in Barcelona (third).

Simone Caporale
Photos: @danielafernandezs

Read: The World's 50 Best Bars: Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy Tops the List, Italy Strengthens Its Presence Through Ups and Downs


Coming down from the podium, the importance of two former best cocktail bars in the world was also confirmed, such as Paradise, the eponymous and eclectic paradise Of Giacomo Giannotti in Barcelona (tenth),

giacomo giannotti paradise barcelona italians do it better
Giacomo Giannotti

And Connaught Bar, the temple of Martini of Needle Perrone And Giorgio Bargiani in London (thirteenth). Masters of Italian hospitality, who decided to bet on themselves outside their comfort zone, seeking and finding fortune in the two great European capitals of mixed drinks.

Why do they do it? How did they get so high? And what are the goals that drive them to carry out this mission with such fervor? We asked them personally, and we are ready to tell you through their own words, one story at a time, exploring the path that led them to reach the top of the international drinks pyramid. 

Because yes, “Italians do it better” is a concrete and tangible reality, but to truly understand the reason behind this success, we must immerse ourselves in the stories and experiences of those who have been able to make Italian talent shine in the world. It is not just about making a good drink, but about transmitting an entire culture of hospitality, made of passion, dedication and obsessive attention to detail. Exactly the three cornerstones of know-how that distinguishes us. 

the 50 best bars italians do it better

The World's 50 Best Bars

  1. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
  2. Bar Leone, Hong Kong
  3. Sips, Barcelona
  4. Tayer + Elementary, London
  5. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
  6. Line, Athens
  7. Three Monos, Buenos Aires
  8. Alchemist, Cartagena
  9. Zest, Seoul
  10. Paradise, Barcelona
  11. Himkok, Oslo
  12. BKK Social Club, Bangkok
  13. Connaught Bar, London
  14. Double Chicken Please, New York
  15. Overstory, New York
  16. Lady Bee, Lima
  17. Baba au Rum, Athens
  18. Coa, Hong Kong
  19. The Cambridge Public House, Paris
  20. Tlecan, Mexico City
  21. Caretaker's Cottage, Melbourne
  22. CoChinChina, Buenos Aires
  23. Salmon Guru, Madrid
  24. Martiny's, New York
  25. Benfiddich Bar, Tokyo
  26. Maybe Sammy, Sydney
  27. Supergood, New York City
  28. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
  29. Satan's Whiskers, London
  30. Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
  31. Tan Tan, Sao Paulo
  32. Limantour Liquor Shop, Mexico City
  33. Drink Kong, Rome
  34. Jewel of the South, New Orleans
  35. Byrds, Melbourne
  36. Local Florence, Florence
  37. Scarfes Bar, London
  38. Moebius Milan, Milan
  39. Bar Nouveau, Paris
  40. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai
  41. Bar Us, Bangkok
  42. Virtue, Tokyo
  43. Atlas, Singapore
  44. Laura's Hall, Bogota
  45. Roda House, Stockholm
  46. Floreria Antico, Buenos Aires
  47. Analogue Initiative, Singapore
  48. El Gallo Altenero, Guadalajara
  49. Danico, Paris
  50. 1930, Milan
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James Jacobellis