JULIAN BIONDI
Florentine bartender born in 1988, with over ten years of experience behind the counters of his city. Addressing the issue of waste in the world of bars, both of raw materials and time, he has extended his skills in this sense, with the aim of developing a sustainable and efficient bar culture, which leverages local products and producers. In 2019 he was considered one of the 10 best Italian bartenders by the magazine "Gambero Rosso", and in his career he has won some important national awards (Rhum JM Competition, Clairin World Championship). Since 2019 he has dedicated himself to the freelance profession, as a consultant and trainer. He is part of the organization of "Florence Cocktail Week" and "Ego Circus" and is the creator and talent of the Gambero Rosso Channel format "Viaggi di Spirito". In September 2022 he will open "Seeds", a cocktail bar whose sole focus is to have the lowest possible environmental impact.
STEFANO CICALESE
Florentine, born in 1987. He began his career as a bartender first in Florence, then in London and New York. In 2014 he began to approach the topic of distillation as a self-taught. In a few months he was involved in the “Peter in Florence” project, the first London Dry Gin distillery to open in Tuscany. His training as a professional “master distiller” began at this time, within the best training courses in the United Kingdom. In 2015 he was the youngest Italian “master distiller”, as well as one of the well-known faces on the national scene. Together with other gin producers, he is working to create a specification for Italian Gin, which is focused on the use of local raw materials and the highest production quality.
Matthew of Ienno
Florentine, born in 1986, is one of the most important Italian faces of international bartending. In the hospitality industry since 2007, his numerous high-level experiences led him six years ago to the management of “Il Locale”, a reference cocktail bar in Italy (Cocktail bar of the year 2019 at the “Barawards”) and in the world (in 39th place in the “World's Best Bars” ranking, as well as the first Florentine bar to enter this prestigious ranking). Inside “Il Locale” he created a laboratory for the preparation of liqueurs and spirits, as well as juices, syrups and fermented drinks, which characterize the offer of what is one of the most avant-garde bars in the European panorama. It is here that he acquired great skills in the preparation of alcoholic and non-alcoholic products. His production approach is based on seasonality, and on the use of every part of the raw materials.
