Peroni x SHARP
“Jet lag is kicking in,” laughs Antoni Porowski. “I took a mint right before my Zoom with you!”
We’re calling across the ocean; I’m watching the snow pile up in downtown Toronto while Porowski — fresh off a red-eye flight from New York — is adjusting to the Italian landscape. “We ended up having a really delightful storm in New York that reminded me of my Canadian childhood,” he laughs. “So things got delayed, but we showed up.”
“It’s that moment to just sit and relax and enjoy something in its pure simplicity. There’s something so effortlessly chic in that, and the Italians have it down pat.”Antoni Porowski
Reminders are a recurring topic of conversation. Porowski recalls his first trip to Italy in stunning detail: walking through old city squares, people-watching on sun-soaked terraces, snacking on sharp cheeses, and sipping smooth Peroni Nastro Azzurro beers. These simple moments evoked memories of happy hour at home.
“In Quebec, we have cinq à sept,” Porowski starts. “It’s this ritual, this intermediary between your day-to-day life — working or studying — and having dinner. It’s that moment to just sit and relax and enjoy something in its pure simplicity. There’s something so effortlessly chic in that, and the Italians have it down pat. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a village or in a large city. In Italy, it’s everywhere.”
Style, as Porowski sees it, comes from simplicity: small menus filled with fresh ingredients; a crisp beer served in a cold glass. Elegant yet uncomplicated, each dish offers a clear, focused experience for the senses. “Everything is sense-memory for me,” Porowski says. The sentiment is no surprise: his recollections are packed with tastes, sights, and sounds.
Perhaps that’s why, as the topic turns to Peroni Nastro Azzurro, we find ourselves turning back the clock once more. “Everything for me is nostalgia,” Porowski says. Recounting a serving gig in Montreal (his second job in the industry), Porowski remembers carrying up to a dozen Peroni Nastro Azzurro bottles on a single tray amid the “incredible, lively bustle” of F1 season. “The classic blue label is so ingrained in my mind. Thinking about all the beautiful campaigns from way back when — that lacquered mahogany boat on Lake Como, the blue ribbon — things like that really stay with me,” he adds.
Porowski’s partnership with Peroni Nastro Azzurro — the number-one Italian beer in the world — is a full-circle moment. “I’ve worked with the Peroni family before, and it’s exciting to come back every time, ‘cause I get to touch on nostalgia,” he says. “It’s so funny to think: I’ve carried hundreds, if not thousands, of bottles of Peroni Nastro Azzurro in my time as a runner and as a server.”
“[Hosting] really doesn’t have to be complicated. I think it’s more the intention that you put in it — the reason you’re doing it — and that’s to connect with others.”Antoni Porowski
Today, Peroni Nastro Azzurro elicits fond memories of serving jovial crowds in Montreal. “When I’m hosting my friends, everything is based on nostalgia, my own memories growing up and things that I saw — whether it’s the beautiful ad campaigns or being a server,” Porowski says. “[Peroni Nastro Azzurro] is a natural go-to for me to this day.”
Admittedly, however, today’s gatherings look a little different than busy kitchens and tables packed with F1 fans. During a different winter storm, Peroni Nastro Azzurro was a key ingredient for Porowski’s white chicken chili. “It was absolutely delicious,” he confirms. “Really good on a cold winter’s day, when you want something a little lighter and a little more crisp.”
Yet, as Porowski is quick to note, a successful soirée has no need for complicated culinary maneuvers. “Just get a nice old bucket, fill it up with ice, and some crisp, cold Peroni Nastro Azzurro,” Porowski says. “[Hosting] really doesn’t have to be complicated. I think it’s more the intention that you put in it — the reason you’re doing it — and that’s to connect with others.”
