The Magic of Milan in a Cocktail

The glitz and glamour of Italy tends to come to spectacular life in the most enchanting of surroundings.

Photos by Marcus Lloyd

Case in point: take a trip up north in Milan to the Piazza Quadrilatero. While you’re there, look around at an expansive courtyard as stunning Baroque architecture tower over you and the stylish people of the city hustle past.

Widely considered to be one of the best hotels on this spinning planet earth, the Portrait Milan calls the Piazza home, sitting at the epicenter of regional Italian culture and the tourists who flock to Italy each summer to bask in the glow of its red, white and green flag. And much like the old country itself, the property’s history is immense. In fact, it was once the oldest seminary in the world with its origins dating back to 1565.

Fast forward five centuries of life as a boarding house, hospital, and even a prison. After a period of disrepair, the glamorous Ferragamo Group began renovations in 2019 and today, they run the slick hotel that serves as the complex’s beating heart which just happens to be a short walk from the city’s famed Duomo.

As a result, the 73 rooms and suites exist in the Italian fashion house’s image, right down to an archive of black and white photos that plaster the walls and products that can be found in the rooms. Checking in, I saunter across the chic red carpet, slather on some Ferragamo hand cream and get ready for a truly Milanese night out. Luckily, I don’t have to go far.

Right in the complex is 10_11, the Portrait’s equally fashionable bar and restaurant, with plenty of seats to sit outside among the columns or inside its sleek interiors. On the Sunday evening I visited, it’s a delicious bustle of Italian energy.

The bar program matches the quality of the surroundings, and as I read, they’re “meant to capture the spirit of the country.” That is, you can’t get more authentic than sipping an aperitif, an iconic pre-dinner drink, than in the country where it was invented (in America, it’s considered a “pre-game,” a decidedly less-classy affair).

Sip a classic like a Negroni Sbagliato (Campari and brut) or a Garibaldi (Bitter Fusetti, orange juice), or, be a little more adventurous with bespoke cocktails like the La Vecia (Campari, Mezcal, Resin Cordial, Agave nectar, orange).

If you’re really looking to wander off into unique territory, they also have Italian-style Tiki drinks including an Italian Zombie (Rum mix, Eccentrico, Cinico, Liquore Strega, Angostura, Grenadine, pink grapefruit, lime).

But if you’re in search of true Italian authenticity, one can’t do much better than partaking in their namesake 10_11 Spritz. Have it during the day in the Milano sun, or after it goes down for a nightcap. Or, if you’re far from Italy, make your own at home, below.