Going 10 Rounds with Top Bartender Santo Borzi
What do you like to drink after a shift? “A shift does not end without a sip of a good single malt from the Scottish Highlands, especially the kind matured either in a port or sherry cask.”
What is the all-time best dive bar jukebox song? “The Doors, ‘Roadhouse Blues.’ It reminds me of my younger years when I would gather with my friends in this place outside my hometown facing the beach.”
After all these years bartending and creating drinks, do you still enjoy going out to bars? “Absolutely! That’s actually the best part of my job, along with being able to get a drink anytime I want! But seriously, I do love going out and searching for unique bars—the sort of hidden jewels.”
Name the first good drink you ever drank and where you had it. “It was a warm evening in Sicily, just right at the end of the summer season, with just a few tourists there enjoying the warm climate. I was with a friend of mine at that time, and we were looking for a place to crash. We sat in this bar and we ordered a drink, and it was the best Negroni I ever had. A perfect mix of all the ingredients. The bitter oil from the Sicilian orange overwhelmed my nose and palate.”
What book on cocktails or spirits is your go-to resource? “The Alchemist Cocktail Book: Master the Dark Arts of Mixology is the perfect book to start your road into the world of craft cocktails.”
What’s your favorite cocktail and food pairing? “I’m always loyal to my good Old-Fashioned cocktail, paired with a char-grilled T-bone steak—not rare, not well-done, just perfectly juicy in the middle.”
Who is your favorite fictional bartender? “Al Swearengen from Deadwood.”
What drink are you most proud of creating? “I created a cocktail called Today or Tomorrow for the Dalmore whisky competition. It’s a simple drink made from three ingredients and I’m proud of it because it was the first time that I used my own homemade bitters.”
Is there one person (dead or alive) you’d like to make a cocktail for? “A Vesper Martini for any of the James Bond actors.”
What’s your favorite shot-and-a-beer combination? “Coffee tequila and a good local ale.”
What is the one tool that you always make sure to pack when you’re travelling for business? “My travel bartender kit, in case they ask me to run the show.”
Santo Borzi is the bar manager of Bar 190 inside The Gore London Hotel.
Interview has been condensed and edited.
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