Elena Montomoli

In Italy, says bartender and brand ambassador Elena Montomoli, the bar is at the heart of the community. "We start in the morning with coffee, then later we have the aperitivo," she says. "Everything starts from the bar, so we are like influencers when we are there. We can really make the link with people."

The country's first brand ambassador for climate-positive spirits, Montomoli works for Proposta Spirits, representing a portfolio that includes Avallen, a Calvados that has sustainability at the core of its mission.

It's a surprisingly good fit for Italy, a nation that has a long tradition of sustainable agriculture and one of the EU's better recycling records. "In Italy, we try to use local ingredients and minimize waste," Montomoli says. "Italy, in general, has a rich story of cocktail culture and craftsmanship."

Towards a more sustainable industry

Raised in Tuscany but based in Bologna, Montomoli's path into the bar world led through events management and a stint as a guitarist in a rock-electro band. Italians know Bologna as "La Grassa" (The Fat) for its passion for food and hosts events such as the Slow Wine festival. But it's also a city with a long-term commitment to sustainability, and it's not surprising that bartenders are getting in on the act.

"There are a number of incredible bars that are setting standards for sustainability in Italy," Montomoli says. "In Bologna, we have a bar, Scuro, that works with local organic ingredients, reduces plastic waste, and is focused on ecofriendly practices like composting and recycling."

Bartending is a tricky industry to green. Beyond the waste of raw ingredients used for garnishing and juicing, most bars generate floods of packaging debris, while the emissions involved in transporting and delivering glass bottles of spirits are significant. Proposta Spirits' immediate mission is to support its portfolio of ecofriendly brands while working on making delivery more efficient.

With support from Avallen, Montomoli hopes to lead the Italian bartending community forwards and encourage hospitality professionals to embrace sustainable practices behind the bar. "We're trying to shape the future of Italian cocktail culture with a focus on sustainability," she says. "Together we can make something for the future, for the planet."

A meeting of minds

Italian by birth but an internationalist by inclination, Montomoli has allowed her life to go with the flow. "I'm cosmopolitan, a child of the world," she says. "My personality is a balance between kindness, spirit and bohemia, and I try to be elegant in everything that I do."

Drawn away from the music stage to the stage behind the bar, she studied mixology in Rome, then moved to Copenhagen where she learned the art of minimalism, before returning to Italy and Bologna. "I'm not driven by traditional ambitions," she says. "There are no final goals, just new starting points: I want to be alive with emotions, to travel, to feel satisfaction. And bars can help you do this, to travel and to live with art and creativity."

Montomoli is a believer in following the process and talks passionately about her first meeting with Avallen's cofounder Stephanie Jordan. "I was at a point in my life where I didn't know exactly what would be my next step," Montomoli says. "When I met her, she became the light that illuminated my way. I started the journey of sustainability thanks to her, which allowed me to combine my passion for creativity and my commitment to the future."

A certified B-Corp, Avallen prides itself on sustainability, reducing water use, donating at least 2% of turnover annually to projects that help bees, and using lightweight bottles with a high proportion of recycled glass. And, though Montomoli's portfolio includes other sustainable spirits, among them Two Drifters rum, Sapling gin and vodka, Buen Vato tequila and Amaronauta Italian, it's Avallen that's at the heart of what she does.

"The project of becoming a net-zero spirits brand ambassador is the perfect integration of my essence," Montomoli says. "I'll always be an altruistic person, deeply attuned to holistic practices. This is a project that completes the circle of my life, bringing together what I love and believe in, what makes me happy."

In a man's world

Globally, bartending remains a male-dominated profession and that's certainly the case in Italy. Montomoli feels her gender has not been a barrier. "I've always been in a very male-dominated scene," she says. "Even for music, it was the same, I was always the only woman on the stage. But, while for me it hasn't been hard, for many women it's not easy for them to approach this role."

The Italian female bartending community is relatively small but very supportive, Montomoli says, and she's passionate about women in bartending. Given the option to sit down with one inspiring person from the drinks industry, past or present, dead or alive, she selects Tayēr + Elementary's Monica Berg. "I love the expression of women in the bar industry and I'm trying to encourage growth because the industry is full of men," she says. "Monica Berg is a strong professional with a character that I really admire."

Montomoli recommends that female bartenders hone their confidence, trust their skills, focus on authenticity and create a network. "Be yourself," she says. "Women's personalities shine through in the hospitality business and building a network, making connections with other women bartenders can really open doors and empower other women in a male-dominated industry."

And, for bartenders in general, her advice is simple: to seek out brands that make a positive impact on both the environment and society. "In the industry we have so many different choices we can make about brands," she says. "Why can't we approach from a climate-positive angle, rather than a purely commercial one?"