The world's most famous bartender Salvatore Calabrese, whose cocktail books have sold over two million copies and has mixed drinks for Robert de Niro, Elton John and her Royal Majesty the Queen, has a new London home at The Mule Bar in Spitalfields.
'The Maestro', as he is known, will be working alongside his sons, Gerry and Jon Calabrese and will transport guests back to the swinging sixties with a career-spanning menu. Premier Tax Free caught up with the man himself...
Why have you decided to step back in time at The Mule Bar?
I wanted to do something unlike anything else being currently offered in London. We came up with a sixties concept because the speakeasy idea has been overdone and is also representative of quite a depressing era in our history when people drank to forget. The sixties on the other hand was fun so we wanted to inject this feeling into our drinks list. It’s the same with the décor which pays homage to the swinging sixties. When you think of this era you think of flower power, freedom and the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the colour palette was bright, people were optimistic about the future generally and we wanted to reflect this throughout the space. The sixties also saw the birth of the modern cocktail party!
You will be hosting regular masterclasses and tastings, what can we expect from them?
I have one of the world's largest collections of rare cognacs and love nothing better than talking through the history of this special drink, so one idea is to bring in a master blender to do a tasting with a historical overview. I even have a cognac from 1788, the year before The French Revolution and before Australia was discovered so these are always very interesting.
Where did you learn your craft?
I started in 1966 at the age of 12 and I developed my skills at a bar on the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy. My first duty was to get up at 5.30am and slice the bread. That was when I first understood the need for perfectionism as each piece of bread had to be the same size.
And who was your mentor?
Signor Raffelle ran the bar and he was truly the Humphrey Bogart of the Amalfi Coast. He was always in an immaculate cream jacket, had the most incredible charm, spoke several languages and knew how to make people happy. He taught me how to appreciate and learn flavours through aroma. I made my first Americano at the age of 12, I was quite a cocky little boy. Signor saw me and stopped me, he tasted it and then slapped me so hard for getting ahead of myself that even now every time I make a Negroni I do the sign of the cross and look over my shoulder to check he isn't still there!
What qualities make for a great bartender?
Being a great mixologist doesn't always make a great bartender. The creativity that is needed to make drinks needs to be combined with the art of hospitality. People will come to your bar to see you; it is a hugely social profession and very similar to being a chef or sommelier in that respect. It's important to love what you do and be fond of people, there can be no ego and arrogance in our profession.
What have been the highlights of your career?
Meeting some truly iconic people such as Robert de Niro and Elton John, plus making drinks for Her Royal Highness the Queen. Also, being awarded multiple lifetime achievement awards such as an OBE from my native Italy, which was a huge honour and having that recognition means a lot to me.
Premier Tax Free users are a jet-setting bunch, so what are your favourite bars from around the world?
This is a hard one as in my opinion a bar doesn't need to be anywhere, it's the people that make it, but if I have to choose I would say The Nottingham Forest Bar in Milan, it has one of the best bartenders in the world there, Dario Comini. He is an exceptional host and views it as his home and people feel that pride and welcome from him from the moment they enter.
Plus, The Hoxton Pony - this is my son's bar, and it has a great crowd and really great music. Finally, try High Five in Tokyo, a classic Ginza-style bar. Just don’t ask for a menu there isn’t one!
If you could only have one more cocktail what would it be?
I’m going to be greedy and opt for two. Firstly, a Sazerac made with my 1805 Sazerac Cognac as this is no longer made and so is truly one of its kind. Secondly, it has to be the Negroni as it's what I'm known for and I love making and drinking it.
Finally, shaken or stirred?
Stirred of course! Martin Campbell, the director of several James Bond films, wanted me to prepare a Martini in his movie Casino Royale. But I could not accept, they wanted me to shake the Martini. I've been saying for years that Martini was not meant to be shaken.
PREMIER GEM
To celebrate Salvatore's new home, there will be a 20% discount on all drinks Monday-Wednesday at The Mule Bar for Premier Tax Free readers. Please quote 'The Maestro' when ordering.
The Mule Bar at The Holy Birds
94 Middlesex Street, London E1 7EZ
T: 020 3610 0185
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