Dazzling Cocktails from Hilton Molino Stucky Venice — and the ‘Sky Queen’ Behind the Bar

VENICE

All images courtesy of Hilton Molino Stucky Venice.

If Venice were distilled into a drink, it would taste something like this — layered, storied, and just the right amount of smoky. Either way, the cocktails shaking things up at Hilton Molino Stucky Venice’s Skyline Rooftop Bar are anything but ordinary — and neither is the woman behind them.

A New Reign Above the Canals

Perched atop a former flour mill turned five-star hotel, Skyline is the highest bar in Venice and — thanks to Valentina Mircea — possibly its most innovative. Romanian-born, London-trained, and an award-winning Hilton alum, Valentina took over the reins in early 2024, bringing with her not just a deep knowledge of mixology, but a conscience.

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Skyline Rooftop Bar’s New Cocktail Menu is a Love Letter to Venice — and the Planet

Crafted by Valentina Mircea, the bar’s first female manager and affectionately known as the ‘Sky Queen’ of Skyline, the menu is a sustainable marvel perched at the highest bar in Venice. With an award-winning career that began at Hilton when she was just 19, Valentina now leads one of the few female-fronted bars in the city, bringing with her not only expertise, but a bold vision for circular mixology.

Her new cocktail list reimagines luxury with a conscience, transforming overlooked ingredients into show-stopping creations. Think vermouth spun from yesterday’s flat Prosecco, foam made from whole mangos — peel and all — and garnishes that whisper poetry rather than shout party snack.

Take Mystique, for instance: an ode to the masquerades of Venice, where smoky Vida Mezcal flirts with silky Reposado Altos, while Treviso-made Cadello liqueur adds a lingering, spicy aniseed kiss. Vermouth del Professore completes the intrigue, conjuring the complex beauty of a city that hides as much as it reveals.

Then there’s the Glacial Martini, clear as the Grand Canal on a crisp morning, blending Calvados and Martell with bright bursts of orange and pear. It’s topped with a slice of dehydrated pear and a cloud of ricotta cream — leftovers, yes, but elevated into something entirely ethereal.

Even the sunset gets its moment with Sunset Palette, a golden-hued blend of Italicus, Nardini brandy, and Recioto del Valpolicella, softened with sugar syrup and egg white. It’s a drink designed for golden hour sips on the terrace — when the rooftops blaze, the canals glow, and Venice feels suspended between dream and dusk.

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Cocktail: The Last Date

In light of World Cocktail Day on May 13, the team prepared a home recipe for those not yet in Venice. Here's how to make one of their excellent cocktails.

Ingredients:

• 40ml Jameson Black Barrel

• 40ml Date Broth

• 10ml ‘Super’ Lime Juice

• 2 dashes Orange Bitters

• Dehydrated Date Disk, to garnish

Method: Stir ingredients over ice, then strain into a Nick & Nora glass — a shape that mimics the silhouette of the hotel’s iconic mill tower. No ice in the glass. Garnish with a disk of dehydrated date that adds sweetness and a wink of opulence.

Vibe: This is Venice’s golden age in a glass — silky, spiced, and slightly smoky. Ideal for long sunsets and even longer conversations.

Hilton Molino Stucky Venice

Address: Giudecca 810, 30133 Venice, Italy | Website: hilton.com | Phone: +39 041 272 3311 | Email: venice.info@hilton.com | Instagram: @HiltonVenice | Facebook: @HiltonVenice | Twitter: @HiltonHotels