Amaro Montenegro is best known for delivering a traditional taste of the Italian amaro experience to its dedicated fans around the globe. However, closing out Bar Convent Brooklyn, the brand showed the darker and sexier side to Amaro Montenegro. With signature cocktails created by acclaimed NYC bar, Macao Trading Co., Amaro Montenegro threw one of the most electrifying brand parties in recent memory. They called the opulent fete, #NotAConvent, and appropriately hosted it at Bushwick hotspot, House of Yes, which is widely known for its fantastical theatrics.
Partygoers that were lucky enough to score an invite and get inside the House of Yes doors were treated to special DJ sets by John Talabot and Sasha Barbot and singer, Kat Cunning along with seriously titillating (NSFW) burlesque, aerial and conceptual dance performances. One thing is for certain, Amaro Montenegro knows how to throw a seriously unforgettable party!
We spoke to Marco Montefiori, USA Market Manager at Amaro Montenegro, to talk about the brand’s over-the-top closing party at Bar Convent Brooklyn. Montefiori shared, “#NotAConvent was one of the most fun parties I have ever been to in all my life! It was great seeing such a diverse crowd enjoying Amaro Montenegro.”
Marco Montefiori, USA Market Manager at Amaro Montenegro
Why did Amaro Montenegro decide to throw this party at the first ever Bar Convent Brooklyn and what was the inspiration behind the #NotAConvent theme?
New York is certainly an important priority market for Amaro Montenegro. The brand is really popular in Brooklyn and we believed the best way to thank the mixologists, the bar community and party enthusiasts who have embraced Amaro Montenegro over the years was to throw an unforgettable event that truly brought to life the brand’s personality.
The inspiration behind the party was to showcase the “irreverent spirit” of Amaro Montenegro. We wanted to produce a full experiential event where our guests could understand the complex and versatile sweet and bitter tasting profile of Amaro Montenegro in an extravagant party setting. More than 30 performers appeared on stage, including DJs, musician, dancers and entertainers from all around the world and people had real fun. We are a 133 years old brand and we care a lot about the quality of our product but we also know how to have fun and so do our fans.
During the day at the Bar Convent Brooklyn convention, we focused on product education while explaining our long-standing heritage. After the convention, we wanted to share the fun and edgy side of the brand. For us, equal parts of both education and fun are important to fully appreciate Amaro Montenegro. Our personality is sweet, bitter, complex and versatile! We are the ones you can find wearing a suit and tie during a business meeting during the day and at a party in Brooklyn during the night.
Macao Trading Co. Bar Manager, Damiano Coren, pouring Amaro Montenegro
Why did you enlist House of Yes and Macao Trading Co. for this event?
We wanted to combine a great show with the best cocktails! Et voila! Our consumers are quite educated on Amaro Montenegro and now they want to have fun with us, and the party we hosted after Bar Convent Brooklyn was the perfect opportunity to do just that while making new friends and introducing them to our irreverent world.
What else can people expect from Amaro Montenegro this year?
We are putting a lot of effort into the USA market, daring fans to go deeper with their cocktails and social occasions. Our next big activation is at Tales of the Cocktail with cocktail demonstrations, tastings and of course, another memorable party! Towards the end of July, we’ll be introducing a new product (new to the American market because it’s been around in Europe for nearly 100 years), with a launch event in New York City.
House of Yes Performer at #NotAConvent
Anya Sapozhnikova, Co-Founder and Creative Director at House of Yes shared her thoughts on the festivities, “I absolutely love working with Amaro Montenegro, and #NotaConvent during Bar Convent Brooklyn was a remarkable event. At the core, our ethos is very similar in that Amaro Montenegro and House of Yes are simultaneously eclectic, versatile, decadent and down to earth, and at the end of the day, we create an experience that brings people together in a meaningful way – and that’s exactly what happened with our guests from Bar Convent Brooklyn.”
Bar Manager of Macao Trading Co., Damiano Coren, gave a very spirited bar show along with his team that rocked the crowd all night serving Amaro Montenegro to the packed bar with fashionable partiers. Damiano explained, “Just like any cocktail made with Amaro Montenegro, the combination of Amaro Montenegro, House of Yes and Macao Trading Co. was a perfect recipe. We had an amazing chemistry from the get go, a group of very professional individuals that know how to create an happy environment and deliver the highest standard of entertainment.”
About the cocktail menu direction, he said, “We wanted to highlight the botanicals and the floral notes of the bitter sweet amaro, and one of the most requested drinks was created with black cardamom and lime cordial, fresh grapefruit, Amaro Montenegro and Prosecco. The cordial was reflecting some of the spices used for Amaro Montenegro, the grapefruit gave nice velvety and refreshing texture, the Prosecco the exact amount of dryness need it, and Amaro Montenegro gave the back bones and complexity to create a well balanced drink.” Yes, we would like three of these right now!
Trust us, you will not want to miss the next Amaro Montenegro party. If you don’t believe us, just check out some of these super duper sexy event photos with #NotAConvent.
To learn more about Amaro Montenegro, visit their website or follow them on Instagram and Twitter at @amaromonte and #MakeItWithMonte.
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