British bartender Brandon Stead from 45 West (Gin and Cocktail Bar) in Leicester has won the UK final of the 2024 Art of Italicus Aperitivo Challenge.
Stead’s winning creation, ‘Vincent and Gallo, ’ stunned judges with its combination of Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, homemade clarified sunflower seed orgeat, IPA, soda, and Absinthe.
“I was inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers and their connection to Italy, the beauty of nature, and believing in your work, despite what those around you are doing or saying,” Stead explained.
“I loved how Sunflowers rise and set with the sun, in much the same way Italicus starts with the morning harvest of Bergamot and ends in the bottle, labelled with the colour of Italian sunsets,” Stead continued.
“Once I started making the connections between Sunflowers and Italicus, the cocktail just fell into place, and I couldn’t be happier with how it came out.”
Stead has secured a spot in the upcoming final in Rome, where he will compete for the Global title. He will also receive a once-in-a-lifetime trip and mentorship with Cafe La Trova by Julio Cabrera in Miami.
The judging panel included Erik Lorincz, owner at Kwant Mayfair, Sandrae Lawrence, Co-Founder of The Cocktail Lovers and ItalSpirits Advocacy Director, Roberta Mariani.
Second place was awarded to Emmy Pip Knight from American Bar in The Savoy London, with her cocktail ‘Notion’ which consisted of ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto, Lem-Marrakech Bitters and a homemade soda, including ingredients such as rose petals and Amontillado sherry.
Marie Nolin from The Coral Room in London was awarded third place, creating ‘Blossom in the Dust’ a cocktail made with ITALICUS Rosolio Di Bergamotto, bergamot juice, kefir fig water and activated veg charcoal.
For more information on Italicus, go to rosolioitalicus.com