RAISING THE BAR

Simone Caporale is one of the world’s most accomplished mixologists and a lifelong fan of Formula 1. Here he creates an exclusive Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% infusion, perfect as a race weekend aperitivo.

Interview by Paul Henderson, former drinks editor of GQ magazine.

Master mixologist Simone Caporale is a king of the cocktail world. During a glittering career he has received multiple awards for his work, including International Bartender of the Year at the Spirited Awards in 2014. The bar he co-owns in Barcelona ranked first on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2023. Not bad for a guy who started his career “as a pot-washer in a disco on Lake Como”.

Now 39 years old, the Italian grew up in a tiny rural village on the edge of the famous lake. “My childhood was fun,” he recalls. “I’d play with my friends, we would ride our bikes. It was a beautiful place. And on weekends I would watch Formula 1 with my dad. It was the era of Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher. And of course I was mad for Ferrari. Who wasn’t?”

“We were given the freedom to change the rules of cocktail making.”

While Scuderia Ferrari was his first love, Caporale soon discovered another passion: hospitality. As a younger man, he secured a job washing dishes in a local bar-restaurant on the beach. To earn extra cash he would often work through the night until the early hours. He loved watching the locals dancing and having fun.

After graduating to bar work, in his early 20s he moved impulsively to London, with little money, loads of ambition and an unflinching work ethic. Eventually he earned a position at the Artesian cocktail bar in the Langham Hotel which, four years running, was nominated World’s Best Bar by Drinks International.

“We were working hard, as much as 60 hours a week,” he remembers. “But we were given the freedom to change the rules of cocktail making. It was amazing.”

The nomadic spirit that had taken him from Italy to the UK soon caused itchy feet, however. He later moved to Barcelona, the city he now calls home, where he purchased a small bar just off Carrer de Mallorca, christening it Sips.

Sips later topped the World’s 50 Best Bars list. It’s currently ranked at number three. “In terms of a concept, in terms of my professional experience, in terms of desire and imagination, Sips is everything to me,” Caporale says proudly. “And it is a cocktail bar without a counter. There’s no bar in the bar!”

Caporale’s success and the global profile of Sips has enabled him to expand his portfolio. As well as opening a new Cuban-style bar and launching a bartending education programme – both in Hong Kong – he has also re-discovered his love of F1, working with Peroni Nastro Azzurro as an ambassador and visiting some of his favourite race cities.

Simone’s race event-inspired infusions:

“Wherever the Formula 1 calendar takes you, you will find incredible bars,” he says. “In Miami, you are spoiled for choice. Cafe La Trova is great. So is the Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery. And I love the Champagne Bar at The Surf Club in The Four Seasons in Surfside.”

Working with Peroni Nastro Azzurro has given him the opportunity to use Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% when mixing his drinks. “I love it because they didn’t compromise the taste,” he explains. Rather than calling them cocktails, Caporale prefers to describe them as “infusions”, allowing other flavours to combine with the beer to create a very special taste.

Across the world right now, the popularity of non-alcoholic drinks is growing, especially among younger drinkers who are of legal purchase age. And it’s led by heritage brands such as Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

Caporale suggests anyone who wants to create their own Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% infusions at home, shouldn’t be afraid to be creative. “Use fresh citrus, like mandarin or pink grapefruit,” he recommends. “Then add in a tiny bit of sweetness – say a touch of honey or a little bit of sugar… but not too much. And then for an aperitivo, try some bitters to create the spritz-style of beverage. Those flavours pair fantastically with the hops and the barley of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a grand prix.”