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Behind the bar: Simone Caporale, cocktail maestro

April 25, 2014 • In Drinks,

We caught up Simone Caporale, Drinks Tube’s cocktail maestro, on set on a rooftop in East London and asked all about his roots.

We caught up Simone Caporale, Drinks Tube’s cocktail maestro, on set on a rooftop in East London.

OCCUPATION: “Bartender. I work at the Artesian bar in the Langham Hotel in the West End, London. It’s been listed as the best bar in the world for two years running in International Drinks Magazine.”

BORN IN: “1986. I grew up in a small village in the north of Italy on the lakeside of Lake Como.”

CURRENT HOMETOWN: “London. I came here in 2009 on a one-way ticket with just hand luggage and €2,000 – which is nothing like £2,000 so I wish I had brought more! I knew that London was the capital of the cocktail world. There is such a great drink culture – the exchange of flavours and the mix of so many cultures in London makes it the perfect place to create and experience things in a glass.”

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WHY BARTENDING: “I started bartending in 2003 because I was fascinated by not just the cocktails, but also by how magic the environment of the bar or a party can be – particularly with cocktails.”

THE FIRST COCKTAIL I MADE: “A mojito. I remember it wasn’t the best cocktail though, because they made me muddle around 200 or 300 glasses with the lime. That was the preparation I had to do every day for the bar in Lake Como.”

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FAVOURITE COCKTAIL: “The Negroni, with Martini Rosso. It’s iconic; the status symbol of the Italian aperitivo. Perfect before a meal, and great afterwards for digestion.”

ON DRINKS TUBE: “I love it because it’s a clear, funny, transparent way to show the passion of cocktail making. Thanks to Jamie and the team, everyone can enjoy beautiful cocktails at home now!”