Nestled within the Palazzo della Gherardesca in the Tuscan capital is the Atrium Bar. The heart of mixology at the Four Seasons Hotel Florence, it features cocktails inspired by characters who have crossed the threshold of this incredible residence over the centuries.
The venue
Before the evening falls, the last rays of the day penetrate through the skylight overlooking the space of Atrium Bar. A spacious ground-floor room at the Four Seasons Hotel Florence, where the long wooden counter and intricately designed bottle display immediately capture the attention of guests, who are getting ready to sit at tables for an aperitif or dinner with cocktail pairing.
The realm of Head Mixologist Edoardo Sandri is an elegant lounge where green fabric sofas alternate with wooden-framed armchairs, arranged to become small corners of privacy, but always with a privileged view of the station where Atrium Bar's drinks come to life.
Cocktail Commedia, Atrium Bar's Drink List
As if it were a stage, the counter becomes the focal point of the evening and the privileged place where Cocktail Commedia comes to life. A drink list that the Atrium Bar team has dedicated to illustrious characters, some real and others fictional, constructing the blends according to their personalities and imagining their tastes, sometimes taking a leap back in time for centuries. A journey that starts from 1473 and reaches the present day, developed through two non-alcoholic drinks and eight cocktails with different alcohol content.
From low ABV to medium cocktail
Among the lighter blends, "The Self-made Man" stands out, tied to the story of Bartolomeo Scala, son of a miller who managed to become Chancellor of the Florentine Republic during the time of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Thanks to his rise, he built a lavish residence for his family, and it is in that same place that the Four Seasons Hotel Florence stands today. The cocktail has a bright yellow color and blends Italicus bergamot liqueur with apple and Silvery Pekoe white tea.
Moving up the ABV scale, you encounter "Il Papa," a cocktail tied to the figure of Pope Leo XI, who became the owner of the palace after a brief period under Alessandro de' Medici, who adorned the rooms with cherubs that can still be seen in the lobby today. The liquid interpretation is a drink based on tequila, fig mustard, and blackberries.
"Il Volterrano" imagines a blend that the renowned painter could have sipped while creating one of his most beautiful works, "The Blindness of the Human Mind Illuminated by Truth," preserved on the noble floor of the Four Seasons Hotel Florence. The base of vodka and Savoy aperitif combines with verjus and is completed with a foam with hints of vanilla. "The Garden Lover," on the other hand, is inspired by the English garden where Guido della Gherardesca loved to spend his days, among centuries-old trees and fountains. A green oasis that hotel guests can enjoy today, perhaps with a glass of aquavit combined with cachaca, pineapple sage, and coconut sugar.
The High Alcohol Blends
Alcohol levels rise a bit with "The Merry Widow," inspired by Costanza della Gherardesca, heir to the Medici family who moved into the palace with her husband Ugolino, of whom she soon became a widow. Caught up in her commitments and a member of two of the most important Florentine families, the cocktail dedicated to her is a blend of two different rums and incorporates sakura vermouth with notes of Japanese cherry blossoms, green Chartreuse, and pineapple vinegar. Finally, "The Bartender" is the liquid interpretation of Edoardo Sandri's tastes, portraying a mixologist capable of understanding the desires of his guests, satisfying every palate. In a low tumbler, rye whiskey is combined with mezcal, Amaro Lucano Essentia, Vetz Aperitivo, and a tropical air for decoration.
Atrium Bar Negroni's List
A new addition for the cold season, Atrium Bar's Negroni menu gathers four different interpretations of the Count's cocktail, born in the city of Florence over a hundred years ago. The list proudly displays the Vintage Negroni, Atrium Bar's flagship aged in a barrel and served in an elegant glass bottle. "Retro" is instead aged in an amphora, adding an additional bitter note to the world's most consumed drink with gentian.ì
"Vanguard" adds a Mexican twist with the use of mezcal and a local touch with Alkermes Santa Maria Novella, made from a recipe dating back to 1743. To conclude, there's "Futuro," which combines Amar Santoni with rum and reserve vermouth. A list dedicated to those who have contributed to making Negroni the most consumed cocktail in the world: worth trying during the aperitif hour or after dinner, as an alternative (or continuation) of the journey into the history of the fascinating Palazzo della Gherardesca of Cocktail Commedia.
Contacts
Atrium Bar
Borgo Pinti, 99, 50121 Florence FI
Phone: +39 055 26261
