Ah, those classic sights and sounds of an Italian summer. Effervescent red-hued spritzes sipped on golden sand. Paper cups filled with fried seafood. Sweet gelato. The adoring Mediterranean sun. The rapper 50 Cent sprinting by on a bicycle?
These were the vibes at Sammontana’s 80 anniversary beachside celebration on a recent Saturday night in the idyllic beachside enclave of Forte Dei Marmi, located in the north of the country on the Ligurian Sea (a three hour drive from Milan). And yes, since Forte is a hotbed for the rich and fanciful, it attracts people like the aforementioned rapper.
For those unfamiliar, Sammontana in the summertime is as ubiquitous in Italy as Coca Cola back here in the States. A gelato brand founded in the quaint town of Empoli using leftover ice cream machines, it’s now grown to be Italy’s largest purveyors of the famed dolce. This year, the company’s expanding by selling in the U.S. for the very first time. It makes sense: the company’s branding, a smiley face with its tongue sticking out, was designed by the guy behind the I <3 NY logo, Milton Glaser.
So here I was in the middle of the company's founding families, the Bangolis, as well as an array of friends and Italian celebrities, who all gathered to welcome summer and mark the birthday.
In America, a beachside party might merit shorts, t-shirts and worn sandals. On the contrary, partygoers here flaunted crisp white shirts, long floral dresses, spotless loafer and, improbably, high heels (a tall order, considering the sandy location). Luckily, I didn’t catch anyone sinking into the sand.
As dance music pulsated across space as DJ spun beats while the sun was setting, Italians gathered at one of a handful of bars set up for guests. Sure, there were beer and spritzes, Aperol and Negronis. But many of the partygoers were also requesting Gin and Tonics, a trend I found while traversing Italy as of late. Yes, the Italians are expanding their palette. The way they pronounced it made the drink sound more excotic than it is. “Geeen n’ ton-eek!”
Then the food started to pass around. In a paper cone was a crisp frito misto. That’s fried seafood for the uninitiated, a delectable array of calamari, shrimp and octopus, all rolled ever-so-lightly in semolina and fried. Here, it’s far from the crusty popcorn-style shrimp popular back in the grand ol’ U.S.; instead there’s just a delectable hint of crunch.
Speaking of octopus, guests also treated themselves to paper plates of an octopus salad tossed with potatoes and oil. Of course, there was pasta: tonight, it was a red sauce which slathered even more seafood, including shrimp making another delicious appearance.
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Leave it to the Italians to inject a dose of artistry in a beach party. In one corner, a calligrapher was scribbling on custom tambourines. Give her your name, and she’ll adorn your very own instrument with your moniker of choice. Elsewhere, a huge chest of charms was for the taking: everything from ice cream cones to sunflowers and stars, all of which were then finagled onto a necklace.
Entertainment tonight came courtesy of a finalist from Italy’s version of The Voice, as well as a group of gentlemen who sang all of the Italian hits from “Volare” to “Tu Vuo' Fa' L'americano.” Marking a sign of the times, the group also busted out a version of Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” in the Neapolitan dialect, no less.
As the night wore on, the Gin and Tonics and Spritzes continued to flow. Since we’re in Italy, cigarettes were sparked as well with clear glass ashtrays splayed across the bash.
Finally, “Tanti aguiri” rang out as the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to Sammontana with gelato pints stacked mimicking the look of a cake. Then Lorenzo Bagnoli, Vice President of Sammontana Italia, thanked the crowd and officially ushered in the new Italian summer. The band kicked back in and everyone joined together in a rendition of “Senza fine,” a solemn wish that the Italian summer never ends.
Read more travel, food, and culture stories by Robb LeDonne.
