Florence welcomes a new bar: Fede Cocktailab, with the ambition to become an international reference point. To reach that goal, it brings together the elegance of high-end Florentine hospitality and the most advanced experimentation in contemporary mixology.
Fede Cocktailab belongs to the Santa Cocktail Club group, which already operates two venues in Florence, plus one in Rome and one in Venice. They are all hotel bars, managed by WTB – Why The Best. Fede Cocktailab is also a hotel bar, located inside Hotel Balestri, a few steps from Ponte Vecchio in the historic center of Florence.
Fede Cocktailab, Florence’s New Arrival
“Fede Cocktailab was born from the meeting of two souls: the refined hotel bar and a research-and-development lab devoted to mixed drinks,” says Simone Covan, Bar Manager. “The goal is to combine the elegance and welcome typical of top-level hospitality with the experimental curiosity and forward-thinking spirit that define contemporary mixology.” Inside the lab, the team works with “cutting-edge tools such as a rotary evaporator, centrifuges and fermentation equipment, which allow us to pursue deep, structured flavor research—pushing beyond the limits of a classic cocktail bar and creating combinations that feel unique and surprising.”
An Open Lab
One defining feature of Fede Cocktailab is its open laboratory. “Just as restaurants once introduced open kitchens to bring guests into the chef’s process, we aim to offer transparency, involvement and awareness in the world of drinks,” Covan continues. “After long preparations and complex processes, a cocktail is often perceived as a simple pour. Showing the back-of-house allows us to highlight the craft and technique behind every serve and to convey the full meaning of what arrives at the table.” During evening service, the lab remains active and visible, so guests can observe distillation, filtration and other preparations in real time.
Fede Cocktailab also functions as a central production hub for the group’s other venues: “This lets us optimize output, reduce waste and maintain high standards. It also fosters constant, shared research within the group.”
How the Lab Shapes the Drink List
In line with the concept—hotel bar plus laboratory—the drink list draws inspiration from ancient alchemical manuals. “Those texts captured the philosophy of transforming matter and the principles behind research and experimentation,” Covan explains. The menu becomes “a modern alchemical manual, a place to narrate our approach to transforming ingredients through scientific and creative techniques.” The eight signature cocktails originate from eight classic recipes “twisted through the lens of transformation and the four natural elements: earth, air, water and fire.”
In short, “each drink moves through three evolutionary phases that mirror the alchemical journey of matter. It begins with Initiation, the cocktail in its original form. Then comes Transmutation, a first evolution inspired by one of the four elements: a controlled reinterpretation, a twist on a classic that shifts the aromatic profile without breaking the structure. Finally, Quintessence, the most complex and conceptual transformation, where the cocktail moves away from its original shape and returns as a new creation from the lab—built with techniques such as re-distillation, fermentation, clarification and experimental infusions.”
Cenere, the Emblematic Serve of Fede Cocktailab
“Cenere is among our most representative drinks,” Covan says, “and it is the Quintessence of an Old Fashioned guided by the element of fire. We start from the classic structure but radically transform the matter through an ember re-distillation process. To prepare it, we infuse whisky with glowing embers, which are then extinguished directly inside the spirit.”
After about one hour of infusion, once the liquid has cooled, the whisky is re-distilled in the rotary evaporator, yielding a unique aromatic profile with warm, complex smoky notes. “The drink is completed with brandy, a bitter infused with banana pulp, and a saccharum obtained from the peels, which enhances sweetness and balance.”
The result preserves the soul of the Old Fashioned while reframing it with contemporary technique and a completely new sensorial identity. “In full alignment with the lab spirit of Fede Cocktailab, Cenere is served in a separatory funnel—a symbol of the ongoing dialogue among science, art and hospitality that defines our philosophy.”
A Second Exemplar: Caprese
“Caprese is our twist on the Bloody Mary,” the Bar Manager explains. “We begin with tomato and spices, but replace tomato pulp with a crystal-clear tomato water, more elegant and delicate, which gives the drink a lighter texture and surprising freshness. The base spirit is also transformed: instead of vodka we use a blend of tequila and mezcal, which adds complexity, structure and a gentle smoky line. The cocktail is fully carbonated, resulting in a lively, sparkling drink halfway between a Mexican Mary and a Paloma, served in a highball to emphasize freshness and aroma.”
Balance comes from a basil cordial that dovetails with the tomato and nods to the Italian dish that gives the drink its name. “The garnish is a cherry mozzarella—both gastronomic symbol and visual cue—while the rim carries dehydrated tomato powder made from the very scraps of the tomato water, an homage to circularity and sustainability in our lab.”
The Food Program at Fede Cocktailab
“We believe a contemporary cocktail bar should offer excellent drinks and dishes that extend the guest experience, creating harmony between the glass and the kitchen,” Covan adds. “Although we are not a restaurant, Fede Cocktailab proposes a concise, curated selection, where dish is conceived with the same precision and sensitivity we devote to our cocktails.”
The menu pivots around one idea: “to share—plates designed for an aperitivo or a more substantial aperitivo, convivial proposals meant to be enjoyed together, encouraging a more relaxed, social experience. Alongside these, we offer some more structured courses—firsts and seconds—for those who wish to turn aperitivo into dinner. In every category there is at least one meat option, one fish option and one vegetarian option to ensure variety and inclusivity.”
Fede as in Fede Balestri Wittum
Fede Cocktailab carries the name of Fede Balestri Wittum (1888–1978), daughter of a renowned family of hoteliers—the Balestri—and connected by marriage to another, the Wittum family. There is more: Fede Balestri Wittum was “a woman of extraordinary modern spirit and independence, one of the first emancipated figures in Florence—she was the first in the city to obtain a driving license and the first to earn a pilot’s license.” As Covan recounts, “she was the last owner of the building that now houses Hotel Balestri, before the acquisition by the Fratini family, which leads the entire group.” Fede Cocktailab stands inside that hotel.
“When the Fratini family acquired the building, the property was completely cleared of original furnishings, with one exception: a painting of Mrs. Fede Balestri Wittum. That portrait inspired the hotel bar, which is dedicated to her memory. The logo reflects the legacy: the pictogram reprises her face, while the lettering draws from a segment of her original signature—evidence of the deep connection between her story and the hotel’s contemporary identity.” A place—and a story—to be experienced.
Images courtesy of Fede Cocktailab, credits Mike Tamasco
