George Clooney, like so many other world-famous celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, is a huge fan of the Hotel Cipriani in Venice. She’s mentioned it on her blog, he’s been photographed there regularly by the paparazzi; to that end, it is a fairly well-known international place. In a new special news feature posted by Forbes magazine on May 31st, 2012, celebrity secrets were flowing from the staff’s lips faster than a spilled bellini.
Bartender Walter Bolzonella claims the Hollywood actor actually helped create and named two of his specialty drinks available at the bar. Guests who visit can request the cocktails if they want to have a taste of celebrities’ luxury lifestyles while they are staying there.
The Buona Notte is the name of the first cocktail creation Clooney fans will want to try if they ever get a chance to visit the historic venue. Forbes writes, “Created when Clooney presented his film “Good Night, and Good Luck” at the Venice Film Festival in 2005, starts with half a lime…” From there, the bartenders at the luxury hotel add fresh ginger, 1 spoonful of cane sugar, angostura bitter, vodka, cranberry and crushed ice.
The bartender who claims he’s buddies with the actor said, “[On the night it was first created and named by the actor,] 100 people came to the bar and demanded the Buona Notte.” Bolzonella laughs now when retelling the story, but when it first happened, he claims, “It was a disaster.”
A second cocktail was allegedly invented for George Clooney and his family back in September of 2011. Bolzonella claims, “[He] asked Clooney for help in naming his new creation with elderflower and passion fruit. And Nina’s Special was born, named for Clooney’s mother…” shared the luxury lifestyle news source.
As for Clooney’s connection with Italy, the actor owns a historic home on the shores of Lake Como. Regularly using the house as a vacation spot for celebrity friends to escape the pressures of everyday life in Hollywood, he’s been very candid during celebrity interviews that excessive drinking happens at his place regularly.
Now that he’s dropped brunette Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis in favor of dating leggy blonde American girl Stacy Keibler, whether or not Clooney relies more on staff from luxury hotels to help him entertain guests visiting the European country is not clear. [Eli Canalis used to be the translator and tour guide for all his visitors and helped show everyone a good time by playing hostess while they were visiting.] Now that she is dating Steve-O (the guy from the “Jackass” movie and television series), the star is probably having to pay locals to help him show friends and family around the country.
But one thing is for sure. Wherever George Clooney travels in the world, he is likely to be the life of the party — even if he is not drinking. Cheers to living the high life of a Hollywood celebrity.
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