Our Story

Gastro Cocktail Academy is an intensive program created alongside Culinary Institute of Barcelona (CIB), Escola de Cuina for those professionals who want to work with a laboratory mindset, connect the world of gastronomy with beverages, and build proposals with their own identity.

Meet the team behind GCA

Matteo Ciarpaglini

Co-Founder, Executive Chef and Program Director

Head of R&D for the Paradiso group in recent years, leading the technical and creative development of new products and projects. He has worked on international openings and collaborated with some of the world's most influential restaurants.

His career merges experience in spaces like Noma or Disfrutar with a background in Gastronomic Sciences and a specialization in food innovation. His work focuses on the intersection of technology, product, and creativity applied to the liquid world.

Co-Founder, Creativity and Innovation

Gianluca Basso

Bartender with experience in the Paradiso group, where he has worked in both operations and creative development within the innovation lab. He has taken part in creating menus, designing experiences, and international projects, combining creativity with technical knowledge and service context.

His profile bridges deep flavour research with hands-on applications in highly demanding contemporary cocktail environments.

Culinary Institute of Barcelona (CIB) is a private international culinary arts and sciences school based in Barcelona, Spain. It was founded with the idea of nurturing a new generation of chefs and entrepreneurs to build careers rooted in respect for products and people; a generation capable of leading their own futures and driving the changes of the 21st century.

Barcelona is one of the most culturally and gastronomically diverse cities in the world to a point where diversity, creativity, and innovation meet, and where leading culinary artists and world-class restaurants were founded.

What We Offer

Specialised Training

A curriculum combing technical knowledge, experimentation and creative beverage development.

Innovation & Talent

Designed to cultivate professionals capable of developing new concepts, products, and experiences.

Industry Integration

Programs focused on practical application, real-world projects, and professional development.

Machine partners