Going 10 Rounds With Top Bartender Salvatore Tafuri

What do you like to drink after a shift? “Nothing better than a really cold beer, preferably a lager or a pilsner.”

What is the all-time best dive bar jukebox song? “‘Immigrant Song’ by Led Zeppelin, which always makes me drink more.”

After all these years bartending and creating drinks, do you still enjoy going out to bars? “Absolutely. My favorite thing to do, still to this day, is to go sit at a bar. I really enjoy any type of bar, from dive to nightclub.”

Name the first good drink you ever drank and where you had it. “My first very good drink was at 18 years old. I went to this bar in Sanremo called Victory Morgana Bay. Thirteen years ago, not that many bars were using fresh juices or the best ingredients, and I remember that I ordered a Mojito. It was the best Mojito I had ever had! In that moment, I decided that I wanted to work in that bar and learn everything. Three weeks later, I was the barback of that bar.”

What book on cocktails or spirits is your go-to resource? “One book that I suggest, and I still read consistently, is The Flavor Book. I love learning how to combine ingredients perfectly together and learning about ones that I probably would never think to mix together. Also, Liquid Intelligence for advanced techniques and new ways to see the bar world.”

What’s your favorite cocktail and food pairing? “My favorite cocktail is probably the Daiquiri and, of course, I will pair it with my favorite food, pizza!”

What drink are you most proud of creating? “I’m very proud of one of my recent cocktails that I invented at 701West, the Ay Chihuahua. It’s a mix of extra-añejo tequila with shishito cordial and jalapeño tincture, served in a squash glass over a wheatgrass bed.”

Is there one person (dead or alive) you’d like to make a cocktail for? “Ernest Hemingway and yes, I would make him a Hemingway Daiquiri and probably one for myself as well.”

What’s your favorite shot-and-a-beer combination? “Tecate and mezcal.”

What is the one tool that you always make sure to pack when you’re traveling for business? “I always have with me a wine opener, since you never know which bottle you might have to open and after opening the bottle, you will definitely have a better trip!”

Salvatore Tafuri is Beverage director of the four restaurants and bars inside Ian Schrager’s new Times Square hotel the EDITION

Interview has been condensed and edited