You wear many hats – bartender, trainer, entrepreneur, author, TV personality… How would you describe, in your own words, what you actually do?

“As you said, I wear many hats. It all started with my profession as a bartender, which I’ve been practicing for 23 years. In 2017, I founded BV Holding, which today coordinates five well-defined macro-areas. The first is the Bruno Vanzan Academy, our training center, created to elevate and transform educational standards in the bartending world. The second is Bruno Vanzan Catering, our business unit for off-site events, designed to deliver high-level experiences outside our headquarters. The third area is consultancy, where we help entrepreneurs develop innovative concepts – not only for bars but also for creating alcoholic products. Then there’s the Space Design division, focused on designing and building functional, modern spaces tailored to the hospitality sector. Finally, our fifth macro-area is the distillery, through which we produce labels like IOVEM and Black Sinner, alongside major international collaborations.

My mission today is to lead a team with a clear vision based on quality, innovation, and high standards. Naturally, I still personally oversee the projects where my presence is most needed.”

You’ve turned the bartender into an international icon, bringing Italian mixology all over the world. In your view, how has this role evolved over the past decade, and what makes it truly competitive today?

“Credit doesn’t go to me alone, but to an entire movement that wanted to grow and be recognized. Over the past ten years, quality has increased across the board: from raw materials to professional training. Today’s customer understands that there’s planning, research, and care behind a cocktail – much like what has long been true in the culinary world. The modern bartender cannot rely on improvisation. They must be based on solid training and constant updates. Improvisation, once the norm, no longer has a place. Or rather, it shouldn’t.”

Design, fine dining, technology: the bar world is increasingly cross-pollinated. In your opinion, what trends can professionals no longer ignore?

“There are professionals who follow trends, and others who create them. Today, designing a bar means paying attention to key elements: the serving temperature of the drink, the shape and material of the glass, the quality of the ice, and the importance of sanitization – as the THRILL case clearly shows. A concrete example? Highball cocktails, inspired by Japanese Mizuwari, are becoming central in modern mixology. These are light, carbonated, low-alcohol drinks, served in a clean yet impeccable way, often with large ice cubes. That’s the direction we’re heading: less sugar, more balance, greater technical precision, and strong visual impact. Soda will be one of the most interesting components in the years to come.”

Through your Academy, you train hundreds of new bartenders every year. But in a sector struggling with a chronic shortage of qualified front-of-house staff, when will we see structured training paths for floor professionals as well? Isn’t it time to bridge that gap?

“You’ve touched on a key point. The shortage of qualified front-of-house staff is real and very evident. At the Bruno Vanzan Academy, we are already tackling this: in our most comprehensive course, The University, we offer dedicated training modules focused entirely on hospitality, service, and customer relationship management. However, I believe the first step is restoring dignity and appeal to the role of the waiter. For too long, it’s been viewed as a fallback job – as if “being a waiter” is what you do when you can’t do anything else. That mindset needs to change. Only by truly valuing that role can training become both effective and aspirational.”

Technology is increasingly making its way into hospitality and beverage. How crucial are innovation and sensory impact behind the counter today? Can tools like THRILL truly change the customer experience?

“Anyone who thinks they can ignore technology isn’t looking ahead. In our profession, technology doesn’t replace the human touch – it enhances it, supports it, elevates it.

I’m always mindful of innovation, as long as it genuinely improves the experience quality. THRILL is a perfect example: not only does it chill and sanitize glasses in seconds, but it also creates a moment of spectacle. It’s a technical gesture that becomes content, storytelling, and dialogue.

It helps explain why we choose a cold, clean, flawless glass. That’s the point: when technology aligns with quality, everyone wins – the customer, the professional, and the entire industry.”

The Future in a Glass

From the art of mixology to the art of building visions, Bruno Vanzan shows that the modern bartender is far more than a cocktail creator: he is an entrepreneur, a communicator, and a trainer. His journey reminds us that success doesn’t come by chance, but through study, determination, and the ability to stay ahead of the curve – often thanks to technology.

An interview that confirms one thing: the future of the bar isn’t just in the glass, but in everything that surrounds it.