Volcanic and vital, like Vesuvius, in whose shadow she was born. Restless and relentless, like the Thames, along which she has evolved. Giulia Cuccurullo, a native Neapolitan now based in London, moves between exuberance and fluidity, energy and constancy. Today, she is Head Bartender at Artesian, one of the most recognizable names in global mixology — and a four-time No. 1 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list — as well as the cocktail atelier of The Langham, the luxury hotel on Portland Place.
“We’re on the curve at the end of Regent Street, opposite a 19th-century Anglican church — All Souls, designed by the architect John Nash. In the evening, its lights shift from pink to red, casting changing reflections across one of our windows,” Cuccurullo says.
Giulia Cuccurullo’s Early Career in Bartending and the Training in Naples
Her path to the bar began, somewhat unexpectedly, with science and architecture. After attending a science-focused high school, she enrolled in the architecture program at Federico II University in Naples. “The truth is, I was studying and working at the same time. I started in the cloakroom, then quickly moved onto the floor and eventually behind the bar at a Latin American nightclub. I liked the idea of being in direct contact with the real world, of actually making something tangible.” Before long, she found herself at one of Naples’s historic wine bars, mixing drinks, listening closely to the Head Bartender and committing recipes to memory.
“You need a good memory in this profession, but you also need a great deal of logic. And I’m ruled by logic. Most cocktails, after all, can be traced back to the great classics. Once you understand their structure and origins, remembering how to make them becomes much easier.” Her curiosity soon became an obsession. Travel acquired a specific purpose: visiting bars, attending bar shows and sitting in on seminars. “I wanted to discover, observe, absorb, learn. I invested heavily in my education. That was the turning point. Working behind a bar can be something you do on the side, but if you choose it as a profession, you have to give it everything you have.”
When in London
Cuccurullo brought more than commitment to the task. She brought persistence, returning frequently to London and, in particular, to Artesian. “Once I had finished all my exams, London seemed like the obvious choice. It was close, I already knew the city, and it would allow me to improve my English. I told myself I’d go for one summer. Well, that summer has lasted 13 years,” she says with a laugh. She started out in a hotel, later met Monica Berg, moved to Paris, followed the Seine and eventually returned to the Thames she had come to love.
Continue reading on Coqtail – for fine drinkers magazine. Order your copy here
Photo by Tiago Maya, Lateef Photography, courtesy Artesian Bar
