Roberta's Cocktail - Special Edition for the Majestic's 110th Anniversary | Grand Hotel Majestic

Roberta's Cocktail - Special Edition for the Majestic's 110th Anniversary

14-07-2022 | Style & Culture

Written by: Duetorrihotels

Here’s an idea for celebrating the Grand Hotel Majestic “già Baglioni”’s first 110 years with us: not only can you enjoy a taste, but you can also take home a piece of our history—the Roberta Signature Cocktail, a true classic of Bolognese mixology and winner of the International Cocktail Competition in Saint Vincent.

Made with vodka, cherry liqueur, banana cream, Campari Bitter, and Extra Dry Vermouth, the Roberta is a drink suited to the most discerning palates but also to those seeking sweetness: the ingredients, mixed according to a recipe passed down from bartender to bartender in secret proportions, deliver a nice kick of alcohol accompanied by a pleasantly smooth sensation.

The Story of the Roberta Cocktail

A journey through flavors, aromas, and scents that is also a journey through the history of one of Italy’s most charming cocktail bars: the Café Marinetti, the heart of the Grand Hotel Majestic “formerly Baglioni” in Bologna, which for years has been a gathering place and a landmark for lovers of the Italian art of drinking.

This is where the Roberta Cocktail was born. Amid the Art Deco furnishings and Carrara marble floors, and the sweet, elegant melodies of the piano in the lounge, it was inspired by a couple in love. A drink capable of offering a wide range of aromas and scents: characterized by an intense amber-red color with ruby highlights, it captivates the eyes and the nose thanks to the intriguing fragrances of tropical fruit with hints of citrus, cherry, and herbs. The same aromas are found on the palate, with a pleasant vinous persistence and hints of banana, cherry, and aromatic herbs.

The Roberta is a tribute to the legendary Head Bartender Pietro Cuccoli, who worked at the Hotel Grand Baglioni from 1933 to 1975 and, during his career, served such distinguished guests as Sophia Loren, as well as the hotel’s many other patrons. Among the many guests at Café Marinetti, a couple in love left their mark on the cocktail bar’s history. They were seated at the bar while Cuccoli was hard at work preparing one of his creations for an important international competition: the young woman tasted the cocktail and was so enchanted that she suggested to the bartender that he name the drink after her, “Roberta.” It was with this very cocktail that, in 1963, Pietro Cuccoli won the gold medal in the “pre-dinner” category at the International Cocktail Competition in Saint Vincent, triumphing over 190 entries from bartenders hailing from 18 countries around the world.

To celebrate the hotel’s 110th anniversary, the Roberta Cocktail can be enjoyed in the cozy Café Marinetti overlooking the small Winter Garden, or easily prepared at home, thanks to the special edition bottle and its pocket-sized version featuring a Futurist label, which echoes the graphics of Café Marinetti, in homage to the father of Futurism, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. It was precisely at the Grand Hotel Majestic “formerly Baglioni,” in fact, that Marinetti established one of the movement’s headquarters, the site of unforgettable avant-garde evenings such as the “Mythical Futurist Exhibition,” which on the night of March 20–21, 1914, hosted in the basement

The Original Recipe/Equipment

Smirnoff Vodka
Heering Cherry Liqueur
Extra Dry Vermouth
2 drops of Campari
2 drops of Crème de Banane

Martini Glass
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Bar Spoon

Preparation

Fill a Boston shaker with ice cubes. Add all the ingredients. Stir with a bar spoon, shake, and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Pairings

Served as an after-dinner drink, the Roberta pairs perfectly with chocolate, preferably dark chocolate with at least 85% cocoa: the chocolate’s subtle bitterness is ideal for balancing the cocktail’s sweetness and bringing out its mild spicy notes on the palate.