Cocktails for the holidays!

Matteo Di Ienno, famous barman at Locale in Florence, reveals three special cocktails to make at home

We asked one of the city's most famous barmen to come up with three special cocktails for us to make during the Christmas holidays: Matteo di Ienno, bartender manager at the Locale Firenze, revealed three recipes using seasonal ingredients to spice up these days at home.

Puccini, a classic: mandarin juice and bubbles
Take a mandarin and put the segments in a centrifuge. From the pulp you will obtain an airy and dense mixture, perfect to mix with a glass of bubbles. A light and fresh cocktail for a toast even at lunchtime.

The classic becomes strong
Mandarins again, but this time the peels, strictly organic, are macerated with plenty of sugar in a closed glass container. The juice obtained after 24 hours is a thick syrup called oleo saccharum, a very ancient preparation. In the shaker: 2 tablespoons of oleo saccharum; 5 cl of Matusalem dark rum aged 7 years; 2 cl of lime juice; 2 cl of mandarin liqueur; ice. Shake and serve

Peter in the Desert
Take some fresh litchi and blend the pulp with a centrifuge or blender (if using a blender, strain the mixture). In a shaker, add 3 cl of Litchi pulp; 5 cl of Peter in Florence gin (or a gin you have at home); 2 cl lemon juice; 2 teaspoons of sugar. Shake and serve