Beside is an artisanal gin created with fresh botanicals, including selected basil leaves, orange blossom flowers, cedar and sage, coming from Cilento (in the region of Campania in southern Italy) and the Ligurian Riviera between Portovenere and Cinque Terre.
Baldo Baldinini studied the essence of this gin. He is an alchemist and perfumer, an expert in combining ancient perfumery compendiums with modern distillation techniques. He is a Master of Arts and Crafts, famous in the Mixology world thanks to his decade-long research and creation of a remarkable database of aromas.
Inspired by a sailing trip across the Mediterranean and with an eye to the East, the making of Beside involves separate macerations and distillations of 15 botanicals that enhance the aromas of the Maquis, fused with oriental scents of resins and bark.
As the name suggests, Beside is not just a gin. It is also a visual and physical space enclosed in its unique packaging, created by designer Mario Di Paolo. The label, made with papers and materials that enhance visual perception and tactility, symbolizes freedom and the possibility of overcoming one’s limits.
Beside Gin in Portovenere
Beside is one of the brands that was a protagonist of the long summer in Portovenere, animated by evenings with live music on the panoramic terrace of the Venus Bar and Palmaria Restaurant. For Beside, “conviviality and the importance of social relationships, sharing a moment of pleasure, joy and light-heartedness are at the center of this sensorial design.”
Among the specialty cocktails prepared by the bartenders at Venus Bar is the Gin Basil Smash (also known as Gin Pesto), which pays tribute to one of the most iconic products from Portovenere and Liguria in general.
The musical evenings offer a real sensory journey among the flavours, aromas and textures of Beside Gin (to be tasted alone or in various original cocktails), the flavors of the delicious food at Grand Hotel Portovenere, the colors of the Gulf of Poets and the melodies of the musicians accompanied by the waves of the sea.
