Loving bartending has been a part of Patrick Pistolesi’s life for many years now. A true night owl, a party lover, but above all, an entertainer, Pistolesi is considered one of the masters of both Italian and international mixology.
What began almost as a game soon evolved into a career path and an entrepreneurial project. His journey started as a bartender, where he won numerous competitions, traveled the world, worked as a consultant, and opened his first bar in Italy dedicated to gin, Gin Corner. His entrepreneurial and consulting spirit later led him to co-found and become a partner in the NIO Cocktails ready-to-drink brand and, subsequently, to open Drink Kong. From the very beginning, the venue quickly earned a spot among the world’s top 50 bars in The World’s 50 Best Bars, reaching 33rd place and later climbing to 20th in the Top 500 Bars ranking in just six years.
Pistolesi’s eclectic and dynamic nature didn’t stop there. His love for the nightlife found its perfect expression in his latest project, Nite Kong, a cocktail bar and club focused on mixology’s great classics and Champagne, while also embracing entertainment. A true homage to nightlife.
However, Drink Kong remains the creation that best embodies Pistolesi’s approach and philosophy to mixology. It is an instinct bar, as he likes to call it, where the experience is also deeply visual. In fact, the acclaim from the world’s most prestigious rankings and continuous positive feedback from guests have encouraged him to push boundaries and go beyond the conventional cocktail bar experience. Every Drink Kong menu becomes an immersive journey, where graphic design, aesthetics, ingredient combinations, and techniques are at the core of every cocktail, crafted and discussed collectively with the team. Pistolesi’s role is precisely to inspire each member to believe in their instincts and trust their senses.
The influence of Japanese culture resonates strongly within Drink Kong. The Ginza Room, a private space for up to ten guests inspired by Tokyo’s hidden bars, is entirely crafted from cherry wood—designed to offer a fully immersive mixology experience.
