FIRST JOURNEYS - EUROPEAN EXPEDITION- PIN 19 OF 40
GINARTE - Florence, Italy
A ROAD TRIP WHERE EVERY STOP HAS A STORY
I've headed south again to Florence, the capital of Tuscany and one of Europe's great cultural cities. Widely regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is somewhere that art isn't confined to galleries—it spills into churches, piazzas and palaces, making the whole city feel like an open-air museum.
Although Ginarte is distilled by Distillerie Francoli in Piedmont, its creative soul belongs firmly to Florence. Every aspect of the brand has been designed as a tribute to Italian art, creativity and craftsmanship.
What makes Ginarte particularly fascinating is that many of its botanicals were chosen not simply for their flavour, but because of their historical connection with artists and their materials.
Built around Tuscan juniper, the recipe includes madder (Rubia tinctorum), once prized for producing rich crimson pigments; safflower, used to create vibrant yellow and orange dyes; reseda (weld), one of Europe's oldest sources of brilliant yellow pigment; indigo, whose deep blue transformed artists' palettes; and lavender, long associated with artists' studios for cleaning brushes and working with oil paints.
Together they create a gin whose ingredients tell a story long before you pour the first glass.
The result is beautifully balanced—juniper-led, delicately floral, softly spiced and exceptionally elegant.
Looking around Florence, it's easy to understand the inspiration. The Renaissance transformed the way artists saw the world, introducing perspective, realism and a new understanding of colour. Ginarte captures that same creative spirit, turning centuries of artistic heritage into something you can experience in a glass.
Continuing that connection between art and gin, Ginarte has also released a series of limited artist editions, including one featuring striking artwork by Italian illustrator Paola Grizi, inspired by the unmistakable style of Frida Kahlo. It feels entirely fitting for a brand that sees the bottle not simply as packaging, but as another canvas.
So today's cocktail could really only be one thing—a Margatini. Part Margarita, part Martini, it's a bright, citrus-forward serve whose vibrant colours seem perfectly at home alongside the bold floral imagery of that special edition bottle.
Perhaps that's the real beauty of Ginarte. It doesn't simply borrow the language of art—it builds creativity into every part of the story, from the botanicals in the bottle to the artwork wrapped around it.
Where art and gin share the same palette.
Margatini
50ml Ginarte
25ml fresh lime juice
15ml orange liqueur
15ml dry vermouth
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.
"Show me a bottle and I’ll tell you a story."