Stories

Leonardo Mistretta

2 November 2020

My Story

About Leonardo Mistretta alias Quentin

Nationality: Italian
Occupation: Head Bartender
Workplace: Spazio Astra & Mai Thai (Foligno, Italia)
Favorite Cocktail: Mai Tai
Favorite Spirit: Rum

What inspired you to become a bartender?

Well, I began to approach this world at the age of 19. After school I wanted to do a job that could stimulate me and at the same time have direct contact with people. I have always had a problem with shyness and I immediately thought that this work could help me a lot in fighting this problem and that’s what happened. I started for fun but I fell in love almost immediately and since that day I have never left the bar.

Tell me about your bartending journey and how you got to where you are now:

My journey began in Rome, there I attended my first bartender course in one of the most important schools in the world. It was the best experience of my life. After school I immediately moved from home and started working first on the island of Elba and then in Puglia. I never gave up my studies and from time to time I attend mixing courses like the one I did recently on the world of Tiki. I am currently the Head Bartender of Spazio Astra, a former cinema that has been transformed into a cocktail bar, today we are also a fusion restaurant thanks also to the guys from Mai Thai, for them I am creating Tiki cocktails to match their dishes.

What stamp would you like to leave on the industry:

I want to make people understand, especially in my city, that the world of the bar should no longer be seen as a hobby but as a real job.
Every day we put passion and sacrifice for our customers.

Can you explain your personal process for creating a cocktail:

Yes, then I am mainly inspired by classic cocktails, like all bartenders I love the great classics. I start from there and try to work with different mixing techniques from the original to create something unique

What is the most important part of what you do and what does it mean to you:

Passion and sacrifice for the bar and the hospitality and happiness of the customer. For us bartenders, the customer must be pampered and seeing him happy is a pleasure for us.

What do you think will be the future of the F&B industry:

It is not a good time for our industry right now, we are facing a delicate situation that is destroying our world.
However, we are growing day by day and I am convinced that at the end of all this we will come out stronger than before

Anything that would you like to add?

Never give up and always continue like this, work with determination and passion.
I would also like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell my story.

Most bizarre client request:

Unmixed Negroni and served without ice.