Stefano Pasini

 

 

 

THE TEMPLES OF THE COCKTAIL MARTINI

 

 

 

An extraordinary eccentric's Martini

 

 

A reclusive gentleman with a splendid family and an impeccable taste for finely-cut jackets, silk knot cuff links, great Automobilia, sophisticated (but understated) cars and a good, strong Martini drink every now and then: that's the portrait of one of my best friends. I think of him as an 'engaging old rogue', as a great British journalist memorably labeled Bristol Cars owner Tony Crook. Outwardly mundane, but in his heart absolutely selective, this famous ophthalmologist is a connoisseur with precise tastes, shared with his elegant wife, glamorous son and few selected friends. He will not be above leading you in an (apparently) 'common' bar if he knows that on those plastic tables and paper towels you will be served the best freezer-chilled Hendrick's with a slight touch of Vermouth, as we love it; and when back at his home, a fascinating fantasy full of antiques, novelties, masterworks, baby's pedal cars, classic books, of the kind that we can seldom savor out of the patinated pages of AD, the discussion and laughter will go on and on into the small hours, helped by the warm air of Italian summer on the seaside and Martinis getting down two at a time.....It is also one of the very few private garages in Italy where an undoubtedly eccentric and so unmistakably BritishV8 Bristol can really feel at home