This Italian Cocktail Is Made With Chocolate And Cheese—And It's Delicious
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The cocktail world is no stranger to savory seasonings: a salted rim on a margarita, a Bloody Mary made with Worcestershire sauce, dirty martinis. And at a bar in the heart of Milan, they’re reviving a historic drink that has a uniquely savory spin.
10_11, a cocktail lounge nestled in the Baroque courtyard of the Portrait Milano hotel, serves quintessentially Italian drinks like the Negroni and amaro-based spritzes. But you can also find the Giostra D’Alcol, a cocktail that dares to combine booze with both chocolate and cheese.
You may find those two ingredients on a girl dinner plate, but in a cocktail? You're probably skeptical, but hear me out: it actually works.
The Giostra D’Alcol, which translates to “carousel of alcohol,” was one of many cocktails created during Italy’s Futurist period in the early 1900s. The art and social movement rejected tradition in virtually all areas of life, from architecture to literature to cooking.
The movement’s founder, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, published the controversial Manifesto of Futurist Cuisine, where he described pasta as an “absurd Italian gastronomic religion.” Instead, Marinetti advocated for avant-garde and inventive flavor combinations that veered toward the absurd.
That philosophy extended to mixology, where Futurists created their own renditions of cocktails known as "polibibite." One of polibibite’s defining characteristics is the element of surprise. Futurist cocktail recipes feature hard boiled egg yolks, whole bananas, and anchovy-stuffed communion wafers as garnishes. Being provocative was more important than being palatable, and the public response was understandably mixed.
The Giostra D’Alcol, which was originally introduced at the 1931 Paris Colonial Exhibition, is tame by comparison. Chocolate and cheese notwithstanding, the other ingredients aren’t as experimental as you’d expect. The blend of red wine, Campari, and citrus soda is a refreshing spritz not unlike Spanish Tinto de Verano or an Americano.
But the controversial flavor combinations that defined Futurist cocktails—and the movement’s eventual association with Fascism—meant that these avant-garde recipes were left to languish in the past. The movement’s experimental spirit, however, had a larger impact on the modern cocktail industry than most realize.
Many historians credit Futurism as the starting point for craft cocktail culture. Creative techniques like infusion and unorthodox flavors wouldn’t be embraced in today’s bar programs had it not been for Futurist barmen leading the charge.
Their influence was covert and largely unrecognized, until historian Fulvio Piccinino resurfaced some of the movement’s most notable recipes in his 2015 book Futurist Mixology. Polibibites like Giostra D’Alcol were thrust back into the spotlight and contemporary bartenders gave them new life—albeit with some serious adjustments.
At 10_11, Campari is swapped for the richer, smokier Bitter Fusetti. Instead of red wine, their version uses a sweet red vermouth. The use of citron soda, or cedrata, remains the same. But the largest deviation from the original Futurist recipe is the use of chocolate and cheese.
The classic Giostra D’Alcol is accompanied by whole cubes of chocolate and semi-firm cheese, either placed directly in the glass or served alongside as a post-sip snack. Andrea Maugeri, 10_11’s bar manager, flips the script and uses both garnishes to coat the rim of the glass. It serves as a savory, slightly bitter foil to the sweet and refreshing cocktail.
You might not be able to source some of the ingredients stateside, but the Giostra D’Alcol is fairly easy to replicate at home. And don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it—this balanced and refreshing Futurist cocktail is absolutely worth a shot.
Giostra D'Alcol
Inspired by 10_11 Bar
½ oz. finely grated dark chocolate
½ oz. finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
1 ½ oz. red vermouth
1 oz. Campari (or other red bitter)
Lemon-flavored soda (such as San Pellegrino Limonata)
Cherry, for garnish
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse chocolate and cheese until a fine powder forms. Transfer to a shallow bowl or plate. Dip the rim of a tall glass in water, then coat the rim in the chocolate and cheese mixture.
Fill the glass with ice, then add vermouth and Campari. Stir until thoroughly combined and chilled, then top with lemon soda. Garnish with a cherry and serve.
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