The Bar Journal

ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto celebrate their 9^th anniversary on the 1^st September with a full month dedicated to the Art of Aperitivo.

ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto is excited to celebrate the brand’s 9^th anniversary with the return of Rosolio Day on 1st September and the launch of ITALICUS Aperitivo Weeks, a month-long celebration of Italian aperitivo culture.

This year, nine countries, one for each year – Italy, the UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, the USA, New Zealand and Hong Kong – will host week-long activations in leading bars, featuring bespoke cocktail menus dedicated to ITALICUS. Consumers will be able to discover the ITALICUS Spritz as well as the versatility of Rosolio di Bergamotto through specially crafted drinks, its unique story, and its place at the heart of modern aperitivo culture.

Some of the bars taking part to the celebrations globally include Time Out Market in NYC (USA), Viceversa in Miami (USA), Bad Company 1920 in Madrid (Spain), L’Antiquario in Naples (Italy), Bar de Luxe in Hong Kong, The Regent in Wellington (New Zealand) to name few.

The success of these initiatives was recently recognised by The Drinks Business Awards 2025, which named Rosolio Day and ITALICUS Weeks Consumer Campaign of the Year. This accolade underscores the campaign’s impact in engaging consumers worldwide, cementing ITALICUS’s position as a leading voice in shaping how the modern aperitivo is enjoyed and celebrated.

Founded in 2016 by renowned spirits expert Giuseppe Gallo, ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto was created to revive the almost forgotten Rosolio category. Made with the finest Italian ingredients, the striking aquamarine bottle reflects Italy’s artistic heritage and the timeless tradition of the aperitivo.

“The aperitivo continues to grow as a cultural and social ritual across the world,” comments Giuseppe Gallo. “Rosolio Day and ITALICUS Weeks are a way for us to celebrate this heritage with bartenders and consumers globally, and to showcase how ITALICUS can shape and inspire the modern cocktail scene with a new way to spritz.”

Following a Landmark Year for ITALICUS

The 9th anniversary comes after another successful edition of the Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge, the annual global bartender competition, with over 10 countries participating globally. The 2025 challenge asked bartenders to reimagine the Spritz, a serve that continues to dominate menus worldwide as the rise of the aperitivo movement shows no sign of slowing.

A Global Aperitivo Celebration

Participating bars of the ITALICUS Weeks will offer exclusive ITALICUS cocktail menus for one week during September, including the ITALICUS Spritz signature, an aromatic and zesty serve. Venues include some of the most celebrated cocktail destinations worldwide, where guests can experience the art of ITALICUS through drinks that highlight key notes of Calabrian bergamot and Italian botanicals.

A full list of bars will be available on the ITALICUS website from the first week of September: https://rosolioitalicus.com/the-art-of-italicus/rosolio-day.

Rosolio Day, now an annual fixture in the drinks calendar, also invites consumers to explore the fascinating history of Rosolio – a liqueur once crafted in Italian convents and family homes, traditionally served as a welcome drink by the Royal families, and now reintroduced for a new era of aperitivo lovers.

To mark this year’s anniversary, ITALICUS has collaborated with Italian visual artist Fabiola Sangineto – winner of ITALICUS’ Creative Talent 2021 competition in Italy with her piece “Italicus Urbs Eterna”. Commissioned to create a special artwork for the 9th anniversary, Sangineto has crafted a vibrant representation of the ITALICUS aperitivo moment, the brand story, and the modern, fresh and lively ITALICUS Spritz. The illustration brings to life the aperitivo culture and a visual expression of ITALICUS’s role in today’s global scene.

ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto is sold in 700ml bottles at 20% ABV and is available at select retailers including Waitrose and Amazon from £31.50.