The lights come on, sopranos warm their vocal chords, Milanese VIPs try on their sumptuous evening gown for the last time in front of the mirror. The city of Milan eagerly awaits the traditional occasion of December 7 with the Prima della Scala -- this year inaugurating the opera season with Giacomo Puccini's Tosca. An intense, sensual and violent opera that recounts the brutal love triangle between the revolutionary painter Cavaradossi, his mistress Floria Tosca and the cruel papal police chief, Baron Scarpia is acted out on stage. And such a glorious opera deserves an equally glorious celebratory drink. The Tosca cocktail was developed for just this purpose by the creatives of Il Foyer, the restaurant and cocktail bar next to the theatre where the heir of Gualtiero Marchesi's Marchesino continues to evolve.
From stage to glass
Yes, but how do you encompass all the charm and complexity of a world like opera, ballet and theatre into a cocktail? By creating a series of drinks inspired by the best-known and beloved operas, for example, and recreating the spirit of their characters through a skillful combination of colors, scents and aromas. Thus, for example, the seductive Aida becomes an aphrodisiac recipe based on ginger liqueur and pomegranate juice with notes of cocoa and chili pepper; while Swan Lake is a mix of gin, lime juice and St. Germain -- made very dark from the addition of charcoal dye. Yes, because the eye also wants to enjoy its part of the fun. So, the glasses themselves become an integral part of the cocktail -- for example, the Madama Butterfly drink is served in a bowl with a butterfly attached while Hamlet is served in a skull shaped goblet.
A cocktail for Tosca
Tosca, the star of the 2019 La Scala premiere under direction of Davide Livermore and Maestro Riccardo Chailly, also deserved a cocktail all to herself according to Il Foyer. Here, the transposition begins with the color: red, like passion, like spilled blood, finds expression with the use of Martini Riserva Rubino. The femininity of Tosca, on the other hand, comes from a soft and perfumed elderflower foam (where the title of the work really stands out, written with a tomato and chilli powder).
Tosca Cocktail Recipe
1/3 Mezcal
1/3 Martini Riserva Rubino
1/3 Martini Rosato
Elderflower foam (prepared with St. Germain)
Tomato powder and chilli pepper