In the heart of the Ostiense district, in the building of the former Mulini Biondi, a place that doesn't fall under any label. A temple of fermented products, where the can reigns supreme without taking away any merit from the innovative mixing proposals.
Hi Michele, how did this passion for mixing come about?
I was immediately fascinated by the world of mixing, as a teenager I started working in the first cocktail bars, doing the classic apprenticeship of roles before arriving at the bar. I fell madly in love with the conviviality and hospitality that the old nightlife of the early 2000s gave, and so I decided to broaden my views by attending high-level courses and masterclasses. I have always been very curious and fascinated by what was happening outside my comfort zone, so at 23 I got involved and opened my first restaurant in Modica, the city that gave me birth, but the thirst for knowledge and my young age leads me to want to go further and travel. Having left for London I threw myself into yet another challenge, I didn't have mastery of the language but the desire to learn led me to travel around different places for 3 years. Finally, however, I decide to return to Rome for love and here I continue my journey as a bar manager in a hotel near the Jerry Thomas. Thus I began to frequent the world of the famous speakeasy and, thanks to a mutual friendship, I eventually became part of the Jerry Thomas family, going from local neighbor to collaborator.
How the group was born Jerry Thomas Project the project of Tin? And who are its protagonists?
I can tell you that I am now one, together with the founders, of the Jerry Thomas veterans, I am in my eighth season and now a member of the project, also with regards to educational training. The project came to life thanks to the collaboration of the group Jerry Thomas Project, whose founders, together with me, are: Leonardo Leuci, Antonio Parlapiano, Roberto Artusio, Alessandro Procoli, with Paolo Bertani and Leonardo Di Vincenzo of Borgo beer. Latta was created to combine mixing with fermented drinks, it is a real laboratory to give life to new forms of research. At the beginning it was like a game, the experiments on fermented drinks resulted in the creation of cocktails ready to drink. Tin is the natural evolution of a modern pub, it is an easy-going place where you can feel at ease and find any answer to your needs in our proposals food&beverage.
What mixing proposal do you propose? Are there any contaminations with the kitchen too?
Our beverage proposal is not very complex, I believe that there is nothing simpler than being able to offer your customers the opportunity to drink a nice ice-cold beer or a fresh fermented drink. Our cocktails differ from the proposals of other venues, we are based on a completely classic line personalized with a drink of our own production. Same thing with regards to food, research and contamination with the world of fermentation has made us move towards an offer similar to that of New York street food, from burgers to club sandwiches there is always a common thread among the ingredients that leads to fermentation.
What is kombucha? And how is it used in your proposals?
The kombucha it is a fermented drink originating from Asia based on sweetened tea, its name derives from the union of two terms -kombu, name of its creator, e -cha in Chinese tea. It is a simple fermented tea where a colony of bacteria, not harmful to the human body, proliferates and allows natural acidification which, together with carbon dioxide, gives a certain level of freshness and acidity to the drink. The kombuchaFurthermore, with a very important medicinal relationship, thanks to the quantity of probiotics present in the fermentation process, its daily consumption would guarantee a high level of immune defenses. Some of our ideas arise from this beneficial property such as: Xananas, where kombucha meets fresh pineapple in a unique flavor combo.
What beneficial properties do the fermented products you propose have? How do you offer them to your customers?
Our aim is to make customers discover a new way of drinking that comes from the use of medicinal products which are transformed when mixed into energy and healthy drinks for physical well-being. We could define it as an alternative to the classic herbal tea, kombucha is a completely versatile product and can also be used very well in mixing. Its acidic part allows it to also be used as a soft drink in dishes highball, for example replacing the tonic with gin.
Let's talk about your drink list, how is it structured?
Our drink list is developed in two sections: Fermented, which includes all products for direct consumption in cans or tapped from our system on tap. These are alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented products, produced in our laboratory; among many we find the Cucurucucu Paloma, which was born from the inspiration of the classic Paloma and presents itself as a product almost more similar to a beer, but with the alcohol content of a cocktail. And then there is Highball, a simple and streamlined section with our classic proposals revisited in Latta style.
What should a customer who comes from absolutely order Tin for the first time?
Our customers have the opportunity to experiment with three different types of fermentation: poured as if it were a beer, from glass to pint format; in cans with the possibility of being able to buy the product directly from us and drink it at home or even stop by us and taste one of our classics revisited under the interpretation of fermentation.
Let's end on a high note with a curiosity of ours, what is your favorite cocktail?
If I really had to choose one, I would tell you the classic Daiquiri. I'm one of those people who produces alcoholic beverages but drinks very little, I like simple things.
Clelia Mumolo
