TL;DR
Get coffee and tea gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
La Cucina Italiana published a recipe for Simple & Elegant, a dry cocktail created by bartender Giorgio Bargiani. The single-serving drink combines gin or vodka with dry vermouth, bitters and lemon peel, and takes about five to eight minutes to prepare.
La Cucina Italiana published a recipe for Simple & Elegant on October 18, 2026, presenting a dry cocktail created by bartender Giorgio Bargiani. The single-serving drink uses gin or vodka, extra-dry vermouth and bitters, finished with lemon peel; the publication lists preparation time at five to eight minutes.
The recipe calls for 75 milliliters of Fords gin or Grey Goose vodka, 15 milliliters of Bottega Cinzano 1757 Extra Dry vermouth and 1 milliliter of Peychaud’s bitters. It also uses ice and a strip of lemon peel. The ingredient list specifies branded bottles, but the published instructions do not say whether substitutions will produce the same result.
To prepare one drink, chill a Martini glass with ice or in a freezer. Add five or six ice cubes to a mixing glass, pour in the spirit and vermouth, then stir for about one minute, until well chilled. The recipe then directs the maker to discard the chilling ice, coat the inside of the serving glass with bitters, strain in the cocktail while holding back the mixing ice, and finish with lemon peel.
La Cucina Italiana credits the recipe to Bargiani, as told to Angela Odone, with photography by Davide Maestri and styling by Beatrice Prada. The article describes the drink as suitable for welcoming guests and easy to make. Those are the publication’s characterizations; it does not provide tasting notes, alcohol-by-volume figures or nutritional information.
A Short Recipe for Guest Drinks
The recipe gives home cocktail makers a concise, measured option for serving a spirit-forward drink before a meal or at a gathering. Its listed preparation time is brief, and the method requires a mixing glass, a strainer and a chilled Martini glass. The quantities are for one drink, so hosts would need to scale the recipe for a group.
The choice of gin or vodka offers two versions of the same basic recipe, while the vermouth and bitters remain part of both. The source does not compare the variations or explain how changing the spirit affects the finished drink. Readers therefore have a clear ingredient list and method, but not a published tasting comparison or guidance on adjusting the balance.
The article also connects the recipe to a named bartender rather than presenting it as an anonymous household formula. That may help readers identify the drink’s author and the publication’s sourcing, while the practical value remains the recipe itself: exact measures, a short stirring instruction and a lemon garnish.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Bargiani’s Bartending Background
La Cucina Italiana describes Bargiani as born in Pisa and says he began his career in Tuscany before joining London’s Connaught Bar in 2014. The article says he advanced there alongside mentor Ago Perrone. It also reports that Bargiani was named International Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail in 2023.
The publication says Bargiani recently designed his first glassware collection with Nude Glass, though it gives no launch date or further details in the supplied report. It also points readers to other recipes attributed to him, including Espresso de la olla, Extra Negroni and Giani Colada. This background identifies the creator and related work; it does not establish a separate award or ranking for Simple & Elegant.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Recipe Details Not Provided
The report provides measurements and a method but does not state the cocktail’s alcohol content, calories or expected flavor profile. It also does not explain whether different gin, vodka, vermouth or bitters brands can be used in place of the listed products, or how those substitutions might change the result.
The source calls the drink dry and describes it as easy to make, but those are editorial descriptions rather than reported consumer testing. No broader release, restaurant availability or event tied to the recipe is identified. The available material supports reporting the publication of the recipe, not claims about its popularity or reception.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Readers Can Make It
The next step described by the source is preparation at home: chill a Martini glass, stir the chosen spirit with vermouth over ice, rinse the glass with bitters, strain and garnish with lemon peel. The recipe is for one serving; the article does not provide a batch version or additional serving guidance.
Because the drink contains gin or vodka, it is an alcoholic cocktail for adults of legal drinking age. Serve responsibly, and do not drive after drinking. The source provides no further follow-up date or planned update, so whether La Cucina Italiana will publish more details or variations remains unknown.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is Simple & Elegant?
It is a dry cocktail created by Giorgio Bargiani, made with gin or vodka, extra-dry vermouth, bitters and lemon peel, according to La Cucina Italiana.
How long does the cocktail take to make?
La Cucina Italiana lists a preparation time of five to eight minutes and a yield of one drink.
What are the main steps?
Chill a Martini glass, stir the spirit and vermouth with ice for about one minute, coat the glass with bitters, strain in the drink and garnish with a strip of lemon peel.
Can I use gin or vodka?
Yes. The recipe lists 75 milliliters of gin or vodka. It names Fords gin and Grey Goose vodka, but does not discuss other brands or substitutions.
How strong is the cocktail?
The source does not give an alcohol-by-volume figure or other strength estimate. The drink contains gin or vodka and vermouth, so its alcohol content will depend on the products and measures used.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
