Salvatore Calabrese

SALVATORE CALABRESE: A BIOGRAPHY

Website:     www.salvatore-calabrese.co.uk
Twitter:      @cocktailmaestro
Instagram: cocktailmaestro
Facebook: Salvatore ’The Maestro’ Calabrese

Salvatore Calabrese is one of the world’s most respected bartenders. His career spans more than 40 years in the hospitality business, beginning in Maiori on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. In 1980 he moved to London and the bar at Duke’s Hotel. While at the Duke’s he developed a reputation for his Martini Cocktail and a niche market for extra-special cognacs. This was the start of a concept he calls Liquid History, a marketing concept that gained him respect with his peers and grew to a recognition as an expert worldwide.


Salvatore now offers his services as a consultant and can be found at The Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel in London’s Mayfair, Igiea Terrazzo Bar at Villa Igiea Hotel in Palermo Italy, and his lat-est collaboration at Velvet in London’s Corinthia Hotel.

Salvatore Calabrese is a Past President of the United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild. Today, Calabrese is active within the Industry Internationally, encouraging bartenders to become more professional through training programs, while also judging national and international bartenders’ competitions.

He has received an impressive array of awards both here and around the world, including ‘Industry legend’, ‘Professional Excellence Award’ and both ‘Outstanding Achievement’ and ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Awards as well as many awards for the various bars under his command. He was most proud to be recognized by his countrymen with 'Salernitani Illustri nel Mondo’ in praise of his achievements and promotion of his country around the world and lately the recognition of his craft with the Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere.

In October 2012 he broke the Guinness World Record for the World’s Most Expensive Cocktail with ‘Salvatore’s Legacy’ valued at £5500.

In April 2015 at ‘Bound by Salvatore’, Cromwell Hotel
Las Vegas, he made the World’s Oldest Martini

In June 2015 he made the World’s Oldest Negroni a the
Camparino Bar Milan, to celebrate their centenary.

2015 -2019 Salvatore inspired and initiated the exciting and very successful annual ‘Maestro Challenge Cocktail Competition’ in his hometown of Maiori, promoting the hospitality of the Amalfi Coast and encouraging young bartenders across all Italy. https://themaestrochallenge.it

Publications:
He has written 13 books in total. His first book, entitled Classic Cocktails, was a million seller, and The Complete Home Bartenders’ Guide (2002) was revised in 2012 and updated with 50 new recipes and is recognised as the World’s best-selling cocktail book. His other titles include After-Dinner Drinks, Summer Cocktails, and Cognac: A Liquid History (can be found in the British Library), Cocktails by Flavor, published in 2008, was revised in 2013 and updated with 20 new recipes. His latest book, published in April 2015 is a re-write of his 1997 best seller Classic Cocktails.

Salvatore has designed his own range of glass and barware which can be found here Calabrese Barware

Salvatore has created his own unique Lemon Liqueur which can be found here Liquore di Limone  

Salvatore’s Acqua Bianca Liqueur has received numerous Gold Medal awards for both product and product design

He has written for The Sunday Times, The Guardian and GQ Magazine and many publications both here and abroad. He has also been profiled in many publications both national and
international and made guest appearances on television and radio for many years around the world.

He was even approached to appear in the remake of Casino Royale to make the famous martini ‘shaken not stirred’ but he declined as he would never shake his Martini!

Salvatore was thrilled when challenged to perform his skills with the shaker whilst being driven at high speed on the racing circuit by Michael Schumacher, 7 times Formula 1 World Champion, and filmed for publicity as part of a Drink Awareness Campaign by Bacardi.

The results can be viewed on YouTube!!
https://youtu.be/4eO886N-jLo

Salvatore has also been asked to contribute his skills to raise money at various celebrity fund raising events. He had the pleasure of working with David Furnish for the Sir Elton John Aids foundation and with Jamie Oliver for the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and many others.
                   

Salvatore's Books