The Bar Journal

On 1st May the important EXPO2015 will open in Milan, this extraordinary event will be an occasion to celebrate the long story of MARTINI and International Exhibitions with the Terrazza Bar, which actually started 150 years ago!

In the 1860s only five universal fairs were organized worldwide : among them, in 1865 the “Dublin International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures” took place. From May to November, the world fair opened to the public every week-day and some evenings in each week, when the main building was “brilliantly illuminated”.
The East Gallery housed the pavilion of Italy, where the Section III “Substances used as food” included 170 exhibitors: “Martini, Sola e C.ia” was present with its products, including vermouth, liqueurs, chartreuse, chocolate, strawberry, elixir quinquina, etc.

At that time “Martini Sola e C.ia” was a very young company (it had been founded in 1863c), but immediately got its first medal for “excellent quality of liquors”! The Dublin award was immediately used by the company as a meaningful tool to communicate its international distinction. In the same year, the medal won in Dublin was featured on the vermouth label. In 1867, when the company exported its vermouth to the USA for the first time, the label also changed and – it was not a coincidence – the new label was inspired by the Dublin certificate.

< How did the new label imitate the certificate? Victory on the top was flanked by Mercury and a female figure taking the place of Justice, with cherubs seated at their feet. Below them on either side stood allegorical figures representing the New and the Old World (a crowned female and a man with a feather in his hat). Just above them were standards and the shields. The vignette at the bottom center showed a view of the building with an inscribed banner which read: “Dublin International Exhibition” on the certificate, "factory in Pessione" on the label. 153 years of craft & style.... SALUTE! GIUSEPPE GALLO