The latest drink list at Backdoor43 celebrates the bartenders who have left their mark on the world’s smallest bar (just 4 square meters in total, with seating for four). The philosophy behind this unique space and its new menu is explained by Emanuele Cosi, bar manager of both Backdoor43 and Mag Café—two separate but deeply connected bars.
The Backdoor43 Bartenders’ Drink List
Opened in 2015, Backdoor43 quickly became a standout on Milan’s Naviglio Grande. This tiny, snug spot offers guests the rare opportunity for an intimate dialogue with the bartender standing behind the miniature counter.
This intense, close-up interaction has been key to the bar’s success but also poses a challenge for the bartenders. “It’s impossible to have someone stationed here 5–6 days a week; they’d lose their mind,” explains Cosi. To keep things fresh, the bartenders from Mag Café take turns working at Backdoor43.
In this setup, it’s no easy feat to win over regulars, as customers often return specifically for a particular bartender. Yet, as Cosi points out, “Some have managed to build a loyal clientele, like Mirko Turconi and Andrea Dracos.”
The Bartenders’ Cocktails
Enter the Bartenders’ Drink List, a tribute to “the emblematic figures of Backdoor43.” The menu features ten bartenders and their signature cocktails, represented on a collection of postcards presented in a pouch for guests. Each postcard includes the bartender’s name, symbols representing their style, and the recipe for their cocktail.
For example, Flavio Angiolillo contributes the Fruttatino Questo Americano, a reimagined Americano cocktail washed with strawberry yogurt, giving it a silky texture and vibrant fruit notes. His postcard features French stamps, a nod to his heritage.
From Andrea Dracos to Carlo Dall’Asta
Andrea Dracos offers the Sweet Turin, a fizzy sour cocktail made with dry vermouth, rum syrup, mango and hazelnut water, lime, and soda. The postcard shows a squirrel and a Torino stamp. “The squirrel represents Andrea’s use of hazelnuts—a key ingredient in his mixing style and a nod to Piemonte’s excellence,” says Cosi.
Then there’s Carlo Dall’Asta, whose Biruwari reflects his passion for both beer and Japanese culture. Inspired by the Mizuwari, it blends saline solution, acidic water, syrupy fermented pineapple milk, single malt Scotch, and beer into a bold, innovative drink. The rest of the cocktails? You’ll have to visit Backdoor43 to discover them for yourself.
Images courtesy of Backdoor43, Milano
