The Aperitivo Par Excellence
Bar Basso, Milan
A true cult bar for sophisticated drinking devotees, Bar Basso was the first-ever Milanese joint to introduce the “aperitif” to everyday people. An historical cocktail bar founded by Mirko Stochetto, Bar Basso transformed over the years into a real Milanese institution. It is mostly renowned for its signature cocktail, Negroni Sbagliato, which was invented here and is presented in huge, spectacular glasses with 6x8cm ice cubes inside. This is how it started. In 1967, Mirko Stochetto, a bartender at the legendary Hotel Posta in Cortina d’Ampezzo, decided to open a place of his own. Italy started recovering and so did la dolce vita. Stochetto wanted to move to Venice but heard through the grapevine that Bar Basso, a Victorian-style bar in Milan, was for sale through the retiring owner, Giuseppe Basso. When Bar Basso reopened, Stochetto, a life-long admirer of Venetian glass, had problems finding bar accessories and glasses. So he started to design his own glasses to get them functional for the purpose of serving cocktails chilled by large ice cubes, dressed with colorful flowers, and served with “grandezza”. Milan's nightshift responded and Bar Basso suddenly became the place to be. While experimenting with the visual aspects of cocktails by using different glasses and garniture, Mirko also invented a huge array of new recipes. But the most famous one he created by accident – the Negroni Sbagliato, a drink mistakenly created when Mirko grabbed the spumante bottle instead of the gin while making the original Negroni. Like father, like son. Maurizio grew up in the Bar Basso, fascinated by tales of travel from photographers and journalists. In 1980, he started to work full-time with his father, while studying literature at Milan University and then in Berkeley, California. The American adventure lasted two years and Maurizio decided to return to the family business. Now, after more than 40 years, Bar Basso is an institution, deservedly renowned for its craftsmanship, the originality of its cocktail making and old-school bartender etiquette, and of course, the home of the Monkey.
