It stands at the port of Ischia, facing the sea Port 51, a family-run cocktail bar, with a port atmosphere that recalls the sea and the island of Ischia, but at the same time with a modern and cosmopolitan charm, born from four brothers who, after having gained experience in their travels around the world , have returned to their native island to create Porto 51. A place with attention to the smallest details, which is configured not only as a cocktail bar but also as a bistro in which drinking and the manager are transformed into a real sensorial experience discovery of taste, between tradition and innovation. They are at the helm of the project Francesco Mancusi, manager of Porto 51; Miriano Mancusi, which takes care of the service in every single aspect; Maria Mancusi who takes care of the cooking e Doriano Mancusi, bar manager and creator of the drink lists, who introduced us to the universe of the Ischia cocktail bar.
Doriano Mancusi, Francesco Mancusi, Maira Mancusi, Miriano Mancusi
Doriano Mancusi
Doriano Mancusi, born in 1991, approaches the world of hospitality by working in bars and cafes. After various experiences, some even abroad, together with his brothers he invested in his homeland and in 2016 inaugurated Porto 51. Initially a neophyte behind the bar, he attended the European Bartender School in Milan to acquire the skills necessary to carry out the his work in a professional manner. Returning to Ischia, he felt the need to further expand his skills and experience, and took the opportunity to spend some time studying in the company of the kids of 1930 in Milan. Here he had the opportunity to refine his mixing style, until he returned to Ischia ready to revolutionize the island's concept of drinking. Doriano's favorite cocktail? The Old Fashioned.
Mixing and Drink List
“The blending of Porto 51 can be identified with three words: less is more” tells Doriano Mancusi. “We don't focus on too complex preparations, and we don't use instruments like the Rotavapor. Our philosophy behind the bar aims to create cocktails that have their own identity by seeking it in simplicity, treating and enhancing the local raw material, of which we are rich. We rarely find ourselves using products that are not of local origin."
The current drink list aims to evoke a memory, a scent, a flavor of a place or a glimpse of Ischia. At the base there is the desire, on the part of Doriano and the rest of the staff, to tell an authentic story, which represents them. Thus was born a menu of 10 cocktails, designed and created to get to know and bring to life the island territory. The drink list is presented as a block of ten postcards with the back depicting some of the symbolic and characteristic places of the island, each represented by a cocktail that contains its essence and tells its story. Cup of Nestor, for example, is a drink based on Brandy, red wine, Miele Oro Ischia with cinnamon, lemon juice and a citrus bitter, served in a cup made specifically by a local ceramist, a reproduction of the same cup that in the In antiquity it was associated with the Goddess Aphrodite, intent on drinking a drink based on wine and honey. Both the glass and the ingredients are a tribute to the history of the Cup of Nestor, not surprisingly found on the island. Or, Turkish blood, a cocktail with Turkish aniseed vodka, cumin, orange and pomegranate sherbet, lemon juice and cardamom, is served in a copper cup typical of the Turkish tradition, to recall the Forio area, where Turkish pirates used to land during invasions.
One of the most representative cocktails on the drink list is called Wine and Percoca and comes from a history of memories and family roots. “My grandmother had a cellar, and when I happened to give her a hand on the land, we always drank this wine with peaches macerated from the day before. From here we went on to create a cocktail based on wine and percoche, reinterpreting a traditional drink in a modern way. As? We collected the percoca, infused it in brandy and after forty days we obtained our percoca liqueur. For the wine, we made a reduction of local wine, Biancolella, through which the alcoholic part was eliminated, which became more citric than a lemon. Finally, we balanced the percoca liqueur with the citric part of the wine, and we obtained our version of Vino e Percoca. In short, the Porto 51 drink list is a journey through stories, flavors and native aromas, condensed into ten cocktails that accompany the customer on a multi-sensory journey, to discover the island of Ischia and its glimpses.
Sand Ischia
Rena Ischia is the new project of the Porto 51 family, inaugurated on 12 June. Beach restaurant and cocktail bar on the beach that winks at Greek clubs and kiosks, complete with counter, seats and tables, which debuted with a truly original drink list and in keeping with the spirit of the place. Is called Rena Ice Cocktail and is inspired by Algida's timeless ice creams, the timeless classics such as the Amarena Croccante, the Coca-Cola Calippo and the Solero. At the base there was the idea of reproducing, in the simple style that distinguishes the mixing of Porto 51, real ice creams to drink.
For example, the Calippus it is the result of the union between Zacapa Rum and Falernum, with the addition of lime and angostura. The Mint ice lolly was reproduced using a glacial mint cordial, Tanqueray Ten and lime. The Liuk, with Sabatini Gin, Oleo Saccharum and lemon, is served in a cup, with a liquorice crust. Rena Ice Cocktail it is an irresistible summer drink list which aims to evoke, with its eleven "ice creams to drink", memories and sensations linked to the imaginary Algida. And therefore, inevitably, to everyone's childhood and youth.
