ANTONIO DE LUCA, head bartender of the renowned Tian Bar at the Four Seasons Guangzhou, has announced a special themed Marco Polo Night every Friday evening.

Born in Amantea, a small town in southern Italy, De Luca studied mixology in Milano at the Campari Academy and honed his studies in the United Kingdom. He launched his career in Italy and later worked in Asia and the Middle East before returning to China in 2019.

Inspired by “The Travels of Marco Polo,” De Luca created three special cocktails from the stories of the young Marco Polo, who traveled to Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. Marco Polo’s epic stories were inspired by his travels with his father Niccolo and his uncle Maffeo, both of whom made a strong impression on the young Marco Polo.

The first cocktail presented is the Maffeo, made with an ancient Roman recipe called “dulcia” that Maffeo had presented to some Roman Crusaders during the invasion of Constantinople — essentially a blend of whisky, vermouth and Campari prepared with spices and citric fruits. The other two cocktails are the Niccolo, a mix of ingredients from the Middle East, with Arrack, a hazelnut liqueur, coconut and pineapple; and a recipe by Marco Polo who loved to mix Italian flavors with a touch of Asian ingredients. In fact, he loved a famous Italian spirit similar to Grappa, combined with a sugar extracted from the flowers of chrysanthemums.

During his free time, De Luca likes to stay active by playing sports such as football and watching Formula One. He also enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures and customs around the world. He particularly appreciates Chinese culture and feels honored to live in China.(SD News)