Inspired by the first warm days of spring, our Coccaro barman Natale created this new summer cocktail: Coccarito. Sounds spanish for a reason (Tequila) and is meant to cheer you up like no other thing. To definitely try out – at our Coccaro bar, including entertaining chats with Natale, or at home, before leaving on holiday again.
Here’s what it takes to get into the “Coccarito” mood:
Coccarito
4/10 Tequila
4/10 Ginger ale
2/10 Lime juice
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
a spring of lemon thyme
Mix all the ingredients in a longdrink glass. And be sure: Every sip is a sweet summer promise…
Welcome to the heart of Maizza, the pool area, that reminds of an ancient greek outdoor spa, with large palmtrees, figs and hibiscus growing between generous daybed spaces and little sofa angles where to have lunch, sip on a smoothie or just read a good book.
We asked our lifesaver Manilo to show us around: He used to work at the beach of our partner hotel del Levante at Torre Canne where the other guys used to call him “Mitch” like in the TV series baywatch – for his well built body that he’s keeping in shape continuously. But only at Maizza, working by the pool, he says, he grew up to be a real lifesaver, looking after every detail all by himself.
In fact he’s the one to address to with any kind of question or problem. Manilo personally loves travelling, and even though he can’t escape during the summer because they need him by the pools of Maizza (beside the main one there is the one that belongs to the suite), he still loves meeting and talking to guests who come to visit from all different parts of the world: Australia, America, England, France, Canada… Inspiration, new energy, new acquaintances: That’s what his work environment is offering, he says. He couldn’t imagine to do something different…
Talk to him about offroad motorcycling, surfing or if you want to have a nice chat. Manilo is passionate about all different kinds of extreme sports and will be happy to tell you more about it! In the meantime have Valentina or Loredana from the pool bar prepare some nice Shakerato Caffe or a frozen Diaquiri for you to cool down a bit after long hours on the beach.
For those of you who want to try out at home: Here’s the recipe. Pore it all in your shaker as shown in the video.
6/10 White Rum
3/10 Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
1/10 Vanilla Sugar
3/10 smashed mango juice
13 ice cubes
Maybe you feel like eating a bite before going to play golf or hiking? Or you just grab a book, lean your legs on to some ancient olive tree and enjoy the peaceful environment… You’ll find the pool area is the perfect place to be and stick around during long, hot Puglia summers!
This is what happens when a barman from Lecce goes travelling… Giacomo Maroccia who used to work for our friend Davide de Matteis at 300 Mila, Lecce, left his home town quite a while ago to see the world and make new experiences. He travelled the US at first, remained in Texas for a while, then came back to Italy to go studying. We popped into him working part time at the Park Hyatt (Via Tommaso Grossi 1, Milan, Tel: +39 02 8821 1234), Milan, the other day, where he prepared us a couple of Spicy Spritzs, his own variation of the classic, as a welcome drink. Since it’s the perfect thing to have on hot summer days like these (and since he used to be one of our favorite barmen in the area and we’re missing him a lot), we want to share the recipe with you. Here we go: ENJOY!!
Spicy Spritz
4 cl Tequila Blanco
5-6 Leaves of Mint
1 Fresh squeezed Lime
1 Teaspoon brown sugar
Ginger root
Red currant
Soda water
Ginger ale
Place mint leaves, ginger and red currant into a large red wine
glass. Squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. Add the brown sugar, a splash of club soda and gently smash the the ingredients with a muddler. Add ice (preferably cubes),then Tequila and top-up with ginger ale. Stir gently and garnish with a mint sprig.
The best place to have a nice and relaxing Aperitivo after a long day at the beach is the Pool Bar at Masseria Torre Coccaro. There’s Giavanna, Teresa and Aldo looking after you, from breakfast hours on, by the way, serving tasty lunches or cool drinks in the shade of the bamboo umbrellas. But when the sun vanishes slowly in midst the olive fields surrounding the estate, the pool bar area becomes some sort of sunset paradise – drop by and find out…
Today Aldo Vinci, our youngest (19) but no less talented barman prepared something new and refreshing for us, just to give you an idea of what the Pool Bar is all about: Rilee’s, a fruitpunch out of cranberry, papaya, strawberry and peach, with a dash of vodka to excite your tongue and make you feel you’re definitely on holiday.
Aldo has done his homework: Apart from attending bartender classes with Campari in Milan and Rome he could easily speak (and shake!) along with the far more famous Tom Cruise in “Cocktail”. Watch him preparing the Rilee’s and you’ll get the idea… He’s about to become an artist on the mixing gear – we’re pround to have him and are looking forward to following another one of his (“only just made up…”) recipes.
Here’s what it takes:
1/2 oz Apricot Brandy
1 oz Vodka Peach
1/4 oz Strawberry syrup
1/4 oz Papaya syrup
1/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice with a twist of fresh ginger
1/2 oz Cranberry juice
2 pureed peaches
Mix all the ingredients as shown in the films. The perfect drink to learn what Puglia summers are about!
Do you like the Italian Classics the way we do?
Then you might have heard about a beautifully tasty cocktail, that gives you just the right push without giving you a big head: It’s called Shakerato and you can order it in any Italian bar: It’ll look quite the same from Bolzano down to Bari, you’ll find the difference in the details…
There’s only few places where they the barmen still know how to do it the classic way, without using the blender machine, since it takes exerience and passion to add the right amount of all the ingredients and then shake until you can no more. Coccaro Beach Club is such a place. Our barmen certainly do have a professional blender (and in busy times they need to use it, otherwise they won’t make it); but ususally it’s a matter of honor to prepare the Shakerato the way it’s meant to be: in an old fashioned shaker.
Did I mention we just went to Milan? Mainly to see “Priscilla“, THE musical (- for those of you who like musicals and/or the film I can assure: You’ll absolutely LOVE it!! Just make sure you’ll get seats in the first row, so you can jump up when you feel like it and sing and dance along with Gloria Gaynor etc….) but also to check out the fairly new Armani Hotel (Via Manzoni 31): right in the heart of the city, with a lobby that felt a bit like Times Square these days because of the fashion week, a spa on the top floor that made you overlook real Milan in a bathrobe, with your feet in warm pool water, and an inviting bar.
Masseria Torre Coccaro and Masseria Torre Maizza are two five stars luxury resorts of Puglia, Italy. Not two ordinary luxury resorts, but two authentic 500 years old manor houses remodelled with high architectural standards and respect for historical heritage.
Surrounded by centuries-old olive trees, enhanced by exclusive pools (some suites have private ones), Aveda SPA, botanical gardens, the zero impact Coccaro Golf Club, manège, top level restaurants and many other amenities, our ancient estates are like a small town, nevertheless a unique and loving family!
In the center of Puglia we take care of a part of your heart.
