The Bar Journal

This year ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto launched the fourth edition of the Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge, a competition challenging bartenders to create an original aperitivo-style cocktail recipe, inspired by any form of art, using a minimum 40ml ITALICUS. The competition was open to countries all over the world, with contestants expected to be as creative and innovative as possible with their liquid art concoctions.

The brand had a fantastic response to this year’s Art of ITALICUS, Aperitivo Challenge program, with over 1200 entries from 15 different countries across the world. All the entries received demonstrated a superb level of artistry and creativity with unique inspiration and personality. See below the finalists from each of the markets. 

United Kingdom 

• THE SALIGOBALDI – CALUM MCGUIGAN (MR LINCOLNS, GLASGOW)
• THE MATTINI – ROLAND ESCEDI (THE IVY, CARDIFF)
• THE CRESCENDO – JUAN JOSE ORELLANO (THE BEAUFORT BAR, LONDON)
• THE BOMBSHELL – ALESSANDRO VELLA (THE DONOVAN BAR, LONDON)
• THE SIGNORA PICHERA – ILARIA CARONE (ANNABEL’S, LONDON)
• THE OCEANUS – GIORGIA DI STEFANO (DEMON, WISE & PARTNERS)
• THE FAIRY BERGAMOTTO – ANDREA PALEARI (THE AUBREY AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL, HYDE PARK)
• THE PRIMARY 3 – HYPPOLITE CIVINS (QUAGLINO, LONDON)

Italy 

• THE TIMELESS – ALICE MICHELA MUSSO (THE BLIND PIG, ROMA)
• THE 100* 45 – AMIR MEHRDOUST (LOCALE FIRENZE, FIRENZE)
• THE UKIYO-E – SAMUEL BARLASSINA (THE DOPING CLUB, MILANO)
• THE LA CRAVATTA – DARIO TORTORELLA (L’ANTIQUARIO, NAPOLI)
• THE UNITI SI BRINDA! – EMANUELE PRIMAVERA (CINQUANTA – SPIRITO ITALIANO, PAGANI)
• THE OPPOSITES GIMLET – GIACOMO ACERBIS (DONKEY, BOLOGNA)
• THE QUEEN BEE – MARCO FAVRETTO (IL MERCANTE, VENEZIA)
• THE TUTTO QUADRA – EMILIO PECCHIOLI (RASPUTIN, FIRENZE)
• THE SYMPOSIUM – MARTA FONTI (ALPHONSE CLUB, LIVORNO)
• THE KINTSUGI – VALERIO SORDI (HOUSE OF RONIN, MILANO)
• THE ECLISSE – NICOLÒ ROSSI (BARRIER, BERGAMO)

Spain

• THE DOTS – MIGUEL ANGEL ALARCON GUTIÉRREZ (KYOUDAI33, BARCELONA)
• THE GIAMBEL – AGUSTÍN GOMEZ JIMENEZ (BAD COMPANY 1920, MADRID)
• THE GIULIANICUS – MAURIZIO SANTO CARLEA (DUX, BARCELONA)
• THE EGO – MICHELE CARUSO (MONKEY BEACH CLUB, TENERIFE)
• THE INSPIRATIONS – JOSE FERNANDO HIDALGO MAILLO (CASA OZAMA, SEVILLE)
• THE CANON – ALBERTO PAVON (BATON ROUGE, MADRID)
• THE MUSTARAB – DANIEL GARCIA (CREAM, ALMERIA)
• THE APERITINA BERLINA – KIERON SOMMER (LILITH AND SONS, BARCELONA)

Denmark 

• THE CHIARA – TAREK ABDALLAH (TATA, COPENHAGEN)
• THE POINT CHISEL – NIKOLAI BLYT (BAR DECO, COPENHAGEN)
• THE MAGNOLIA – KORNELIJA SKRINSKYTE (TATA, COPENHAGEN)
• THE ART’PERITIVO – ERWAN LE BONNEIC (KESTER THOMAS – CHAMPAGNE & COCKTAILS, COPENHAGEN)
• THE ROSSO AFTERNOON – YOANN RIALLANT (NOHO, COPENHAGEN)
• THE MORE THAN A THOUSAND WORDS – MICHAEL SIGAARD – PEDERSEN (NO STRESS KØBENHAVN, COPENHAGEN)
• THE PNIN’S APERITIF – JULIA DUYVEJONCK FRØBERG (GEDULGT, AARHUS)
• THE FOLGORE – DAMIANO PEZZI (NIMB BAR, COPENHAGEN)

Sweden 

• THE MOSAIC – DOBRICA IVANOV (CLARION HOTEL POST, GOTHENBURG)
• THE MICHI COCKTAIL – JOSEPHINE SONDLO (NORI BAR, STOCKHOLM)
• THE DAVIDE – ANDREW WATSON (BOCA PIZZA, OSTERGOTLAND)
• THE FIORE SOTTERRANEO – TOM OREBRAND (THE STEAM HOTEL, VÄSTMANLAND)
• THE WONDERLUSTER – HELENA SEBASTIAN (BURGERS & BANGERS, ÖSTERGÖTLAND)
• THE UME OGATA – EMIL NORMAN (BARABICU, VÄSTRA GÖTALAND)
• THE AVALLAVA – DANIEL SEEHUUSEN (RESTAURANG SAND, SKÅNE)
• THE SWE´CICUS – JORGE ENRIQUE, QUINTANA (RUTH, STOCKHOLM)

Norway 

• THE LION AND THE LILY – WILLIAM ASH (ESPIER BAR, STAVANGER)
• THE LA DOLCE VITA – KIM SEACH (ALPIN LODGE,  HOYDEN)
• THE LE MAGNIFIQUE – FANNY BERTHELOT (MISFIT TIKI BAR, TROMSØ)
• THE AROMA FRIZZANTE – CT HOPLA (HIMKOK, OSLO)
• THE SMILE AS APERITIVO – ADRIAN MICHALCIK (PIER 42 AT AMERIKALINJEN, OSLO)
• THE BLUE’MS (TO BLOSSOM) – STINE SØRENSEN (COUCH APERITIVO BAR, OSLO)
• THE 95C703 SPRITZ – JOHANNES SÆTERBØ (SVANEN, OSLO)
• THE DUALITY – BENJAMIN AARSLAND (ESPIER, STAVANGER)

Switzerland 

• THE G-FUN – MATTHIEU DOUCET (CANVAS BAR AT THE DOLDER, ZURICH)
• THE WAVE – CHRISTOS KOSTOPOULOS (LORA, BASEL)
• THE ENSEMBLE – MARCO COLELLI (TALES BAR, ZURICH)
• THE IL TAGLIO D’ORO – WLADIMIR REICHERT (WERK 8, BASEL)
• THE ISABELLA – ALESSIA GUERZONI (DELTA BEACH CLUB, ASCONA)
• THE APERITIVO OF ZAPATERA – LUCA HUBER (BAR AM WASSER, ZURICH)
• THE BRINDIAMO AL DIVERTIMENTO – VICTOR MARY (MANHATTAN CAFE, GENEVE SUISSE)
• THE SOOTHING OF BACCHUS – SEVERIN BUCHER (GÜTSCH BAR, LUZERN)

Greece 

• THE TUXEDO – CHRISTOS KLADIAS (BUDDHA-BAR, CRETE)
• THE UTERO – KONSTANTINOS KOUKOURITAKIS (BUDDHA-BAR, CRETE)
• THE HEY! HO! – IOANNIS DRAMANIDIS (KEROUAC, ALEXANDROUPOLIS)
• THE EXPANSION – IOSIF ZAALOUK (RATTAN CUIZINE & COCKTAIL, RHODES)
• THE ATARAXIA – ANNAMARIA SAMOULADA (PORTEGO, THESSALIA)
• THE CHERI – TEMUR SAKHIASHVILI (TRIBECA, THESSALONIKI)
• THE FITZPLEASURE – DANIS TECHNITIS (SHERLOCK BAR SKG THESSALONIKI)
• THE ALTERED STATE – ALEXANDROS AGGELIS (UMI BAR MATSUHISA, ATHENS)

USA 

• THE SPRITZ OLYMPIA – DAVID LEON (UNTITLED SUPPER CLUB, CHICAGO)
• THE STARRY NIGHT – MEG BENSHALOM (MOURAD, SAN FRANCISCO)
• THE ZITALICUS AL PESTO – FRANCESCO DONVITO (REZDORA, NEW YORK)
• THE GOLDEN HOUR – DEREK STILMANN (CHAMPAGNE BAR AT THE FOUR SEASONS, MIAMI)
• THE HEMINGWAY SPRITZ – JAVIER ORTEGA DIAZ (CARVERSTEAK, LAS VEGAS)
• THE ETERNITY – KORAB LOGA (BELLA’GIO RISTORANTE, CHESHIRE)
• THE SAUDADE – CAROLINA MALTA (BEA, NEW YORK)
• THE ART THROUGH TIME – ADAM CARROL (THE GOLDEN TIKI, LAS VEGAS)
• THE NONNA ITALIA MARTINI – MASSIMO STRONATI (ETTAN PALO ALTO, PALO ALTO)

Wildcard 

• THE IMMORTALITÀ – JAN SPORLEDER (BAR SEIBERT, KASSEL GERMANY)
• THE INFERNO – NATHALIE WENKO (DIE PARFUMERIE BAR, VIENNA, AUSTRIA
• Mediterranean Art – Clément Sébastien – MIO (Montpellier)

France

• THE MEDITERRANEAN ART – CLEMENT SEBASTIEN (MIO, MONTPELLIER) 
• THE L’EQUILIBRISTE – PRISCILLIA NABOR (BRASSERIE DUBILLOT, PARIS)
• THE BERGAMOTO & ACCIUGA – CESAR DEBUS (BRETT BY ROHAN, STRASBOURG) 
• THE CECI N’EST PAS UN SODA – ROMAIN JACOVELLA (SOURCE DE CAUDALIE, MARTILLAC) 
• THE PERSEPHONE – MAXIME TURZO (AMARO, PARIS) 
• THE LA VIE EN ROSE – ANAIS BOUDET (L’OFFICINE, LYON) 
• THE LA DANSE BY ITALICUS – KLEVEN CHAUVET (CHATEAU DE MAUBREUIL, CARQUEFOU)
• THE AMORE E PSICHE E UNA STATUA – GIOLE PERETTO (MINETTE RESTAURANT, PARIS)
• THE TALES OF GOLD – QUENTIN MONNIER (GINA COCKTAIL BAR, BORDEAUX)

As the local finals approach, we are looking forward to seeing bartenders competing for the title of Bar Artist of the Year and meeting us at the Global Finals in Rome on the 29th May 2022. For more info on the competition click here. 

Ci vediamo a Roma!

#AOI22 #Artofitalicus #italicus #AOI21