Rita, The "Green" Cocktail Bar, That has been leading the way in Milan for 20 years

Here then is where the stir and serve is used for very few recipes and we enjoy the spectacle that takes place behind the well-equipped larch wood counter that has lights, hangers and usb sockets for charging cell phone batteries. Behind it is a bottle rack with more than eighty labels of gin and at least five hundred of premium spirits. Along the side walls the beautiful red leather sofas and a privé. Finally, a beautiful dehors with its large windows that is heated in winter. On the food front at Rita's there is no messing around: as of February 2023, the kitchen project is in fact supervised by Eugenio Roncoroni, also at Rita's Tiki Room: between aperitifs and dinner you can enjoy excellent finger food, tapas, great hits such as Sciacca anchovies with mascarpone and toast, a remarkable club sandwich but also more elaborate dishes of substance.

The core of the offerings are the classics of international mixing executed in a masterful way, but there is no lack of a more personal and modern proposal, thanks also to the very young staff that is trained here in an excellent way. The common thread is always and in any case freshness and quality of the ingredients, with selected juices and spirits and without the use of syrups and freeze-dried products. Chiara recounts, "New ideas are all very well, but if someone asks for a martini it has to be professionally prepared. We are a street bar with important volumes that does great quality, which is usually only the case in small establishments." Among the must-haves is the Gin Zen cocktail that Edoardo created twenty-five years ago now, made with crushed ice, gin, fresh crushed ginger, lime, and soda. Again the Willy Wonka, with ginger jam, lime cocoa liqueur, Gin, bergamot oil. Also noteworthy is what is a commendable attitude toward zero-waste mixing, internally sustainable both economically and environmentally.

If possible I would reverse this sentence in this way, just to use the correct usage: What Andrea Arcaini, bar manager of the group, proposes to us are two cocktails in which some Koppert Cress microgreens are wisely used (either correctly or as Marco believes): not so much in garnish form as in actual ingredient form. The first, very fresh, was called Fujiko, which Andrea likens to what in classical parlance is called a gin sour. Shiso Leaves Green and kaffir lime are used here: the former (If you like you can also add "also called Japanese basil") popular in Asia as Tempura and called Oba in Japanese, customarily used with raw fish, in this case they are pounded and homemade barleywort, London coconut oil and a few drops of absinthe are poured over them.

The fragrant Kaffir Lime is also used, with its characteristic leaves in pairs, dark and light green, one leaf larger and one smaller. Also popular in Asia, it smells similar to lemongrass, as well as being known for its calming effect.