We’re used to seeing random acts of kindness during the holidays, so it’s even more impactful when someone decides to spread a little cheer on an arbitrary day in spring.
The person was Valentino Longo, the head bartender at Le Sirenuse inside the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, who on March 31st set out to deliver handmade martinis and spark some much-needed joy.
Photograph: Courtesy Valentino Longo
"The idea started with onions. I’m obsessed with cocktail onions and made some for myself but then I made too many," says Longo. Though rather than give them away, he used the surplus of garnishes ("They were delicious!") to make his favorite cocktail: a classic Italian martini.
"The idea was to do something fun for the guys. We’re all home and not working, so making a martini might help raise their spirits a little," he says.
So Longo put a call out on Instagram and hit the road with his "delivertinis:" Gibson martinis made with dry vermouth, a little onion juice and Bombay gin. (Longo won USBG’s Most Imaginative Bartender Competition presented by Bombay Sapphire.) He included a martini glass and one of his homemade onions to ensure everyone had a proper cocktail to enjoy at home.
Writer Amber Love Bond was one of the lucky recipients: "It’s been tough not having the ability to go hang out at a familiar bar with friends and cocktail. When Valentino reached out and said he had something special for me and explained what he was doing, I was thrilled. He put so much work into it. The hospitality industry never ceases to amaze me."
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According to Bond, the bottled martini truly did have transformative powers. "One sip in and I felt like I was sitting at Le Sirenuse again," she adds.
Want to try one of the handcrafted martinis for yourself? Keep an eye on Longo’s Instagram for details on his next delivertini run.
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