Simone Corsini, born in Carrara in 1994, boasts a career studded with successes - national and international. Today, after a long journey made of high-level experiences, he is the Bar Manager of the Piccolo, cocktail bar of the two Michelin star restaurant Piccolo Principe; immersed in the splendid setting of the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte – 5 star luxury – in Viareggio. In the year of thirty, perhaps for some time now, it is to be considered one of the new Leaders of Mixology, as also attested by the award – assigned by Gambero Rosso – for the best proposal of mixed drinks in Italy.
Hi Simone, like any story worth its salt, I would start from the beginning. What pushed you to get in touch with this world and when did you understand that your future could be in mixology?
My story starts, in a very canonical way, from the hotel school. Chosen because, when I was little, my uncle was a barman; I really liked going to visit him, watching him work, shaking, etc. For me he was a fantastic character, sitting at that counter it seemed like watching a One man show. After the hotel school I continued my education, the first victories arrived at the national barman competitions that fueled my desire to study and learn more about this world.
After school?
After finishing school I spent a year in Val d'Aosta, 6 months inThe Hotel Cristallo and 6 months at the inn Bellevue in Courmayeur. There I had the opportunity to learn many important things and to become completely passionate about the Aosta Valley culture, an example is the Friendship Cup that made me win The Vero Bartender Italia 2022 by Montenegro. After an experience in Forte dei Marmi I flew to England where I had the opportunity, not only to learn the language, but to get to know the world behind the counter; made of cutting-edge preparations for the era in which we speak. 10 years ago they were already doing things that are only now taking hold in Italy in recent years.
The Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte
The Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte, icon of authentic Versilia, combines a history spanning over a century with constant evolution. Five star luxury, member of The Leading Hotels of the World, stands out along the coast for its elegant Liberty architecture, the result of the glorious tradition of the late nineteenth century. Five floors, 80 rooms of which 32 suites, common lounges and more intimate rooms, the entire complex has recently undergone a restyling project – on the occasion of the centenary – redefining the style of the structure without changing its identity.
Today you are the Bar Manager of the Bar del Piccolo, immersed in a 5 star luxury hotel, with a two Michelin star restaurant. What was the path that brought you here?
After many experiences, I found myself working, from 2016, for 7 years at the Four Season in Florence becoming senior Bartender of the Atrium Bar. In 2023 I received a call from Davide Macaluso, current Food and Beverage director of the Hotel. We did not know each other personally but we had friends in common, we immediately had a good understanding on the path to follow. A large project, which allowed me to get closer to home, ambitious and of the highest level, taking on responsibilities as Bar Manager.
The Little Prince, 2 Michelin stars.
On the ground floor of the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte, the restaurant The Little Prince it is an excellence of Versilia since the early 2000s. Directed for 18 years by Chef Giuseppe Mancino, who got it two Michelin stars (the first in 2008 and the second in 2014, still maintained). Mancino was one of the first Italian chefs to bring the concept of hotel catering to the highest levels, starting from the specificities of his own territory. Continuously evolving, to update not only the aesthetics of the dish but also the combination of flavors and consistencies, the cuisine of Il Piccolo Principe shows passion for research and respect for the raw material. A constant study that never stops.
Can you tell us about your first meeting with chef Giuseppe Mancino? How do you structure your pairing?
With Chef Mancino there was a lot of mutual respect right from the start. Finding myself working with a chef who has had two Michelin stars for 10 years has certainly raised my ambition, encouraging me to always do better. We don't do a lot of pairing, or rather we don't force it or look for it, it comes naturally. In some cases we worked in a real circular economy; I remember a cocktail in particular based on gluten-free beer, flavored with artichoke with the scraps of the chef who had made the vegetable the star of the dish. There is a lot of exchange, our pairing was born from the union of the two worlds that met at the table, with many small preparations that unite us deeply.
The Little Bar
Also on the ground floor, during the colder season – in summer it moves to the rooftop on the top floor – the Bar del Piccolo completes the food & beverage offering of the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte. In an environment illuminated by mirrors and large windows, the bar is conceived as a hub around which the hotel's day revolves.
Can you tell us about your early days at Piccolo and the work you did to give it your stamp?
Since I entered my idea was to enhance what the hotel already was and in fact my first drink list was all focused on this aspect. The 101 was a real tribute to the place where I worked, in full Art Nouveau style that characterizes our structure, both outside and inside. Enhanced the various rooms with a woman's path through them, recreating a cocktail for each room.
Let's get into specifics, can you tell us about the latest cocktail list, the 102nd?
The “102 Oltre” was born first of all from our desire to always give a concept to what we do. For me the cocktail list is the identity card of the bar, what you want to tell and if the 101 told our Hotel in this case we started from the city that hosts our structure. What is Viareggio known for in the world? The Carnival; but we didn't want it to remain tied only to that and so we created something that, by expanding, would become a social message. In the past we had collaborated with theAIPD Versilia (Italian Association of Down People) and we asked them to tell us some stories. The boys wrote us a letter entitled Oltre that said to look beyond their physical features that lead the world to define them all the same because they are not. The result is a box with 9 masks inside, inspired by the nine boys, and designed to reflect the character and passion of each individual boy present inside; as well as the cocktails, characterized by the boy from which it takes its name.
How did the public react to this cocktail list, which is at least unusual in form?
The response was great, people really liked it. Beyond the “genius” of the physical cocktail list, the story behind it struck everyone. Then you know, our reality gives you the opportunity to dedicate yourself a lot to the customer to make them fully understand it. The 101 was a little book, easier to understand; in this case we need that extra moment to start the journey and get our idea across. This time allows us to put the fundamental protagonist of a bar, the customer, at the center. You have to abandon your personal ego for a moment and put yourself at the service of the customer; for me, the cocktail is just the 30% of the experience.
Can you tell us about any signatures in particular? Maybe the 102?
Choosing would be difficult, I am very attached to cocktails that start from the study of the classics before being revisited in a modern way. The 102 is a negroni, perhaps the best-selling cocktail in the world. We started with Vecchia Romagna 3 barrels and Select Bitter infused for 12 days after having undergone thermal stress - 12 hours hot and 12 hours cold - with coconut. Once filtered we combine it with pure Chazalettes Vermouth rosso di Torino. After that we add an alcoholic tincture to the coffee that follows more or less the same procedure as before and then pure alcohol that undergoes thermal stress with the coffee. Coconut and coffee are not coincidental, with the first we wanted to recreate the delicacy and sweetness of the boys, the second has always been synonymous with an alarm clock, in our case a social alarm clock.
What advice would you give to those who dream of entering this world? And what was the most precious for you?
Study and be curious. Nowadays we approach this world with the mistaken awareness that it is enough to have taken a course to know everything you need but it is absolutely not like that. For those who approach the bar it is important to know the history before thinking about a future bar. Then it is passion that does the rest, without passion you do not go anywhere; here as you wake up in the morning and you have 50 new products, if you do not have the passion to inform yourself you have lost them.
Projects and programs for the near future and beyond?
I can't go too far, obviously, - he laughs -. I can tell you that the 103 that follows our course is already planned. After the Hotel and Viareggio it will probably be linked to Tuscany. We won't deviate too much.
Last question, let's say the world ended tomorrow. Save a spirit and a cocktail recipe for future generations.
Oh God, I didn't expect this - he laughs - at first glance I would have said Gin, but in this world we have so many that perhaps I wouldn't let you save it - he laughs -. Thinking about it, patriotically, I would save Grappa. An undervalued product, imagine if it had been born in France, it would be one of the most famous products in the world. As a cocktail I can't help but save Tommy's Margarita, even if it has nothing to do with grappa, but it's my favorite - he laughs -.
