“A pop-up succeeds when it creates a dialogue between two identities, not when one tries to overpower the other.” For Patrick Pistolesi, that philosophy defines Sira Kong, the seasonal collaboration between Drink Kong in Rome and Sira Rooftop Bar, perched atop the five-star Patria Palace Hotel in Lecce. Running until 30 September, the pop-up introduces Drink Kong’s signature approach to cocktails while embracing the character of southern Italy.
Three elements define the project: original drinks inspired by the Salento, a selection of Drink Kong classics — including Synchronize, Canova and Gaijin — and an approach to hospitality that Pistolesi considers the true measure of a great bar. “A great cocktail can surprise you,” he says. “Great hospitality is what makes you want to come back. That’s the real signature of a bar.”
Reimagining Salento Through Cocktails
Rather than reproducing local flavours literally, Pistolesi chose to interpret the region through sensation. “The menu explores southern Italian citrus, Mediterranean herbs and a gentle saline note that immediately evokes the sea around Salento,” he explains. “I wasn’t interested in creating a ‘traditional’ cocktail. I wanted to create something that, from the very first sip, makes you think of a rooftop overlooking Lecce on a summer evening. Today, I believe a place should be interpreted rather than imitated.”
Frisella Becomes a Gastro Cocktail
Perhaps no drink captures that philosophy better than Friso. “The idea came from Davide Del Rosso, bartender at Drink Kong Monti and originally from Barletta,” Pistolesi says. “When we started developing the menu, it felt natural to let him reinterpret one of the symbols of his own region, and I think he approached it brilliantly.”
The cocktail distils the essence of frisella— ripe tomato, oregano, extra-virgin olive oil, salinity and the unmistakable freshness of a summer lunch in Puglia. “It’s very much a gastro cocktail, but one built with restraint and elegance. Behind it are clarification techniques, distillates and extensive work on texture, yet the goal remains simple: to create a drink that is clean, balanced and genuinely enjoyable.”
Bringing the Drink Kong Experience to Lecce
Alongside the new creations, Sira Kong also features several of Drink Kong’s defining signatures. “Synchronize, Canova and Gaijin have helped shape Drink Kong‘s identity over the years,” Pistolesi explains. “They perfectly express our philosophy: recognisable ingredients, balance, technique and research, always in service of flavour. I wanted guests who have never visited Rome to experience a taste of Drink Kong here in Lecce.”
The Secret to a Successful Pop-Up
At first glance, Drink Kong’s futuristic aesthetic seems worlds away from the understated elegance of Sira Rooftop Bar. For Pistolesi, however, the two concepts were never meant to resemble one another. “Drink Kong is first and foremost a way of thinking about hospitality,” he says.
“Trying to turn the rooftop at Patria Palace into a copy of Drink Kong would have been a mistake. That space already has an incredibly strong identity and extraordinary views across Lecce. So we did the opposite. We let Lecce speak for itself while bringing our way of working, our technique and our approach to welcoming guests. A pop-up succeeds when two identities enter into conversation—not when one dominates the other.”
Hospitality Above Everything Else
For Pistolesi, hospitality ultimately outweighs technical innovation. “We’re living in an era obsessed with fermentation, clarification and equipment,” he says. “Those are important tools, but they aren’t enough. What people remember most is how they felt.” That is why he insists on what he calls “doing things with heart.”
“It means taking time with every guest, listening carefully and understanding what they want, even when they can’t quite articulate it. It means preparing the first cocktail of the evening with exactly the same care as the last. Behind the bar, it means demanding consistency and precision every day. In front of the bar, it means building genuine relationships. A great cocktail can surprise you. Great hospitality is what brings people back. To me, that’s the true signature of any great bar.”
Images courtesy of Sira Kong
