Francisco Vaccalluzzo

My name is Francisco Vaccalluzzo and I live in the city of Córdoba in Argentina. I've worked as a bartender in the same neighbourhood for the past ten years. The bar industry in my neighbourhood and in my city has always struggled to maintain a healthy flow of new apprentices and bar workers, making it difficult for bars to settle and thrive over time.

At the same time, there's an ever-growing need for work opportunities for young people who don't have enough experience to be readily hired.

I created this initiative, Building Foundations, to support the longevity of current and future hospitality venues. We aim to solve the need for a professional, well-trained workforce by creating a Bar School that teaches the necessary skills and techniques to work behind the bar. The courses are free to attend and include paid internships in different bars across town, facilitating job placement for graduates.

The school also creates jobs for current hospitality professionals as teachers at the school and we currently employ a bartender, a barista and a sommelier.

Participating venues include a Ketel One cocktail on their menu called The Apprentice Martini from which a percentage of sales goes to school funding. The ingredients for this cocktail are prepared by students in class, putting into practice the acquired techniques. The school also has a mobile bar station that's featured at different events and participating bars every week, tended by students with paid internships and generating profits that go back to the school. So, completing the circle.

In turn, bars will benefit from future staff with reliable knowledge and bartending experience. This way, we are Building the Foundations that will support us for future growth.

The Apprentice Martini

45ml Ketel One Vodka
30ml chamomile & orange-peel infused blanc aperitif*
15ml fino sherry
10ml charcoal filtered orange juice

1 dash orange bitters

Add the ingredients to a mixing glass. Fill with ice. Stir for 20 seconds. Serve in a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a preserved kumquat on a cocktail pick.

Chamomile & orange-peel infused blanc aperitif recipe:
750ml Lillet Blanc
5g dried chamomile
40g orange peels
Sous-vide at 60°C for 90 minutes. Strain through a coffee filter.

Charcoal-filtered orange juice recipe:
250ml freshly squeezed orange juice
7g distillers charcoal
25ml water
Dissolve the charcoal in water. Then, add the solution to the orange juice and stir. After 5 minutes, strain through a coffee filter.