Negroni Master Class Thailand 2017
With Spoof are drinks. And we welcome all alcoholic beverages. So it is no wonder that we are invited to attend product presentations. Last Monday, February 14, 2017 I was invited to teh Negroni Master Class Thailand 2017. Unfortunately I was late and did not made it to the class. However, I was able to chat with Daniele Pirotta, Campari Band Ambassador.
Originally from Milano-Italy, his illustrious career has literally taken him around the globe. Dani is truly one of the most passionate people you will ever meet. His approach to drinks is focused on balance. This can be seen through seasonal produce, fresh and exotic ingredients while always paying homage to classic cocktail recipes and exploring modern and innovative techniques. Some past important roles have seen him working for NYC Patina Restaurant Group in FL, as well as leading the bar team on board a leading global Luxury Cruise Liner, Seabourn Pride by Carnival Corporation. Dani has led cocktail bar events, and teams across Italy, Europe, North America, and finally Australia. His natural flair for conversation and interaction with people coupled with a huge passion for fine spirits, Aperitivo and Amaro make Dani a natural bartender and now respected Brand Ambassador for Gruppo Campari.  Daniele regularly trains on all facets of bartending, educating the trade and consumers on Campari’s premium and diverse portfolio products. For the last few years Daniele has been regarded as an authority in the Italian drinking culture category, routinely conducting seminars and masterclasses on everything Bitter Aperitivo, Vermouth and Amaro; with a deep focus on history, production and all aspects of Italy’s most iconic heritage fine spirits families. Since joining Campari in 2012, Daniele has had the opportunity to travel to many of our distilleries and production facilities around the globe and learn directly from the greatest industry legends such as Eddie and Jimmy Russell, Master Distillers at Wild Turkey, Glen Grant Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm, Appleton Estate master blender Joy Spence and Daniele Saracco & Lorenzo Barbero in charge of the production of Campari, Aperol and Cinzano.  Living in Sydney, often travelling globally and regularly conducting research trips back to Italy to discover the hidden beauties of the old country, Daniele has an intimate understanding of the local industry and global market trends. Dani introduced me to the Negroni. The Negroni is an adaptation itself - of the Americano, a simple blend of Campari, vermouth and soda.
The story goes that the drink was invented in Florence in 1919 when Count Negroni asked for a slug of gin in his Americano in place of the soda. So the aromatic and dangerously alcoholic Negroni was born, and thence adopted by Italians as an appetite-building pre-dinner drink, or a palate-cleansing settler for afterwards.
The drink has rarely been tampered with in the near-century since it was born. It's now a super-modish choice in hipster pubs and enthusiastic cocktail bars, where whole Negroni menus are emerging, but the basic blueprint remains the same – making it an easy cocktail to whip up, one part gin, one part vermouth rosso and one part Campari, garnished with orange peel.
It was a great pleasure for me to have a little chat with Dani. I enjoyed the after party. For sure I will have the "apperetivo" more often. So long. Sauerkreut
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From Left:Â Michele Montauti, Nandita Sirohi (Campari Singapore), MR. S.T. GAN (Managing Director of Independent Wine & Spirit (Thailand) Co., Ltd., H.E. Francesco Saverio Nisio, Italian Ambassador, Daniele Pirotta, Campari Brand Ambassador, Carla Porter, Hideyuki Saito.
