Aperol and Campari might have some serious competition at the Venice Biennale this year. While spritzes made with those apéritifs is often the drink of choice for collectors, curators, and critics taking a break from the tumult of the opening days of the Biennale, a gin-based cocktail might just be all the rage in La Serenissima this May.
The Quattro Gatti Gin has received the title of the “Official Gin of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia” and it will be available at the cafes and restaurants in the Biennale’s two main venues, the Giardini and the Arsenale, as well as official events during the professional preview days.
Quattro Gatti Gin was founded by the Mordant family—Simon and Catriona and their son and daughter-in-law Agnus and Brielle—who have a long history of supporting the Biennale. Simon served as the Australian Commissioner for the country’s 2013 and 2015 pavilions. Simon and Catriona initiated and spearheaded the completion of a new permanent Australian Pavilion in the Giardini, which took about a decade to go through various approval processes and was finished in 2015.
“With that relationship that we built with La Biennale, it was a perfect opportunity to bring our brand and their brand together, because we speak the same language,” Simon Mordant told ARTnews.
Simon and Catriona were also sponsors of the 2024 Biennale’s main exhibition, “Foreigners Everywhere,” curated by Adriano Pedrosa.Simon is currently Global Ambassador for Australia’s participation at Biennale Arte 2026, and they have also donated funds to the realization of the 2026 Biennale’s main exhibition, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh.
From left, Simon, Catriona, Brielle, and Angus Mordant at the launch of Quattro Gatti, September 2025.
Photo Sabrina Steck
The elder Mordants, who are one of Australia’s top art collectors and patrons, bought a home in Umbria around 25 years ago, spending various holidays there over the years. They officially relocated to Umbria during Covid, and it was their local surroundings that inspired this new venture.
“As we spent more time here, we felt very connected to the land,” Simon said. “We’re in a rural part of Umbria, and we felt connected to the community. We started to think as a family how we could do something that represented our commitment to Italy and our love of the arts and of this community.”
Though the family had previously produced a Brunello for Australian restaurants and friends for 10 years, they settled on gin making. After setting up a still and taking a course in the UK on how to concoct the spirit, Simon and Angus began experimenting with recipes, while Brielle took on the role of chief marketing officer, working to establish the resulting gin’s brand identity. Once they settled on a recipe, they decided to go into commercial production.
“It was the obvious alcohol to make here, once we moved here and decided we wanted to make something from the land, because there’s a lot of juniper everywhere,” Catriona said.
“And the Umbrian juniper,” Simon added, “is considered the best juniper, so we were fortunate we have wild Juniper growing on the land, and a number of the botanicals we use are local. We wanted to create a distinctly Italian gin, not a British gin, and that’s what led us down this path.”
Last year, they entered both of Quattro Gatti’s expressions, Classico and Olive Grove, into competitions, with the Classico winning Triple Gold Medal at the MicroLiquor Spirit Awards and Olive Grove taking home gold medals at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the 2025 World Gin Awards. This past September, Quattro Gatti became available for order to the US and is served at Via Cassia in Hudson, New York.
Quattro Gatti in Venice.
Photo Angus Mordant
Quattro Gatti, which literally translates to “four cats,” takes its name from an Italian expression meaning “very few people around.” Catriona said that they see the name as signaling that their gin is “small gatherings of enjoyment and conversation—quiet times.” That might seem counterintuitive to anyone who has attended the Venice Biennale before, but the Mordants said they see their gin as offering a respite to the hustle and bustle of the vernissage days.
The addition of a new official sponsor is significant for the Biennale, as only three other brands currently hold that title: Bulgari, illy, and American Express. “They hadn’t had a spirit sponsor before,” Simon said of his conversations with the Biennale. “They were very excited to have an Italian gin sponsor.”
Simon continued, “Our brand is all about culture and the arts, and if you were to think about one place that those things all come together for an Italian gin, you couldn’t think of a better opportunity than the Biennale, particularly given our family long history there.”
As part of the sponsorship, the Biennale also asked Quattro Gatti to produce a signature cocktail for the 61st International Art Exhibition. While the Mordants were tight-lipped about what that cocktail will be, Simon said, “It’s top secret at the moment, but it’s a cocktail that will be well received during the day, so it’s something they’ll find very refreshing.”
