I don't recall the last time I went without drinking coffee. In fact, I cannot even remember when I would just wake up and function properly without a caffeine boost. It's Thursday afternoon and all I can think about is how I'll make it through the day. Has my entire routine been shaped to rely upon that black stimulant?
"I must help place Brazil on the world's cocktail industry map", says Brazilian bartender, Neli Pereira, whose mission is to preserve her home country's native ingredients and put them in the spotlight. Actually, this isn't a motivation we manage to see that often in Brazil, which is why Neli can be considered one of the few who is still enduring this challenging path.
"Nordestinos are all the same: they come to São Paulo, picturing a better life in this huge capital city, but they are always yearning to go back", said Walter Bolinha, as he referred to his fellows’ northeastern citizens known in Brazil as "nordestinos". He is the driving force for more than 20 years at Baretto - the fancy bar of the international acclaimed Hotel Fasano.
Long before any of us could ever have imagined living under such socially restricted conditions, I've had the idea to ask some dear bartenders that I admire the most: what would the Last Drink of your life be? Coincidentally or not, Covid-19 made its unpleasant appearance right after my first inquiries and the subject of this interview has made more sense than ever.
When we are not looking for a particular spot and unpretentiously go to places when we are traveling, perhaps the most incredible and unusual venues appear out of nowhere. That's how I met Botanical Affairs, that surpassed any expectation of a drink bar that I could ever visit.
In any space dedicated to gastronomy in the city of Würzburg, two things are taken very seriously: ambiance and drink. Any self-respecting bar or restaurant takes very seriously the space in which it is inserted along with its decor, as well as its drinks menu, dedicated to the Franconian region.
I am not a fan of drinking coffee from modern machines. My morning’s best friend is a “Bialetti”. After exhausting ourselves cleaning the apartment, I took a long nap right after. When I woke up, I could only think that a fresh cup of coffee was the only fuel able to lift my lazy spirit.