Giovanni Spezziga, Coral Room
Giovanni Spezziga started out working in the luxury hotel industry 20 years ago, including working alongside passionate hospitality peoples at The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in the beautiful island of Sardinia in Italy.
Since then, Giovanni oversee the launch of the Scarfes Bar at the finest Rosewood London and also at the helm as general manager of both the Bloomsbury hotel's new Coral Room & Dalloway Terrace, which opened in November 2017. Giovanni has worked in numbers of different opening and creative project with spirits brand, as well as launching his consultancy which has helped clients both in the UK and overseas develop new bar concepts and revitalize existing venues with dynamic service, design and overall operation advice.
See Giovanni's Italicus cocktail below.
Italicus High Tea Cocktail
Created by Giovanni Spezziga, bar manager of Coral Room at Bloomsbury Hotel, London
40ml Italicus
15ml Fino sherry
2 spoons British raspberry jam
3 dashes Bitter orange
125ml English sparkling wine
Method:
Shake it up in a shaker with ice, strain into a coupette glass and top with English sparkling wine, add zest orange. Salute!
Inspiration:
The cocktail is taking inspiration from the British tradition of High Tea. The creation of afternoon tea is often credited to Anna Maria Russell, Duchess of Bedford, in the 1840s. At the time, it was fashionable to eat a late dinner at around 8pm, there is no more quintessential British ritual than the ceremony and serving of afternoon tea, with cakes, scones, local jam and sandwich. The drink called Italicus High Tea combines rosolio di bergamotto, British raspberry jam, bitter orange and English sparkling wine, creating a light drink perfect for sipping all year.
