ROME, ITALY (May 12, 2025) -- Today, ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto announces the national finalists for the seventh edition of the Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge, a global cocktail competition celebrating the creativity and craft of bartenders reimagining the modern spritz.
The challenge, now in its seventh year, continues to shine a spotlight on innovative talent across the world. Bartenders were asked to create an original aperitivo-style cocktail using a minimum of 40ml ITALICUS, with inspiration drawn from any art form — from sculpture to cinema.
Finalists from participating countries including the UK, USA, France, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong, Hungary, Germany, New Zealand, and the Wild Card entry, will go on to compete in their National Finals during May and June 2025. The winners will be invited to showcase their creations at the Global Final on 7th July 2025, hosted at the stunning Blue Gin Bar in Monaco, France.
The national finalists for the 2025 edition are:
UK
- Andres Villagomez | Side Hustle/Nomad | London
- Samuel Plumb | Sterling Bar | Manchester
- Lorenzo Barra | Archive & Myth | London
- Dionysios Tzorouchof | Twice Shy | London
- Callum Lister | Common’s Club | Edinburgh
- Daniele Fierro | The Guards Bar & Lounge at The Raffles Hotel | London
- Jelena Bulatovskaja | Sexy Fish | London
- David Purkiss | Lab 22 | Cardiff
USA
- Kevan Ash | The Roosevelt Room | Austin
- Dragan Milivojevic | Papercut | Austin
- Victor Uceda-Vereau | Bar Kaiju | Miami
- Juan Jose Pulgarin Morales | Maple and Ash | Chicago
- Jason Trevino | Double Chicken Please | New York City
- Joseph Venezia | Marcelino's | Boston
- Daniel Torres | Funke/Bar Funke | Beverly Hills
- David Lozano | ORO | Miami
- Angel Ricardo Rodríguez Herrera | Bijou | CDMX
France
- Connan Henry-Madden | Un Bar avec des Formes pour Nom | Bordeaux
- Donovan Chouari | Bar 1802 | Paris
- Polina Kirdohlo | Bistro Renee | Nice
- Miguel Teixeira | Renard Bar | Paris
- Nicolas Bracq | Le Prechoir | Rouen
- Anthony Teyssier | Mimo | Lyon
- Lucas Nardin | Red Poppy | Paris
- Archie Lees | Tribe | Courbevoie
Italy
- Valerio Izzo | SHUB | Sorrento
- Marco Colasanti | Depero | Rieti
- Vincenzo Palumbo | L’antiquario | Napoli
- Nausica Vitali | Pastificio San Lorenzo | Rome
- Alia Melis | Rita's Tiki Room | Milano
- Edoardo Bullio | Romeo Cocktail Bar | Verona
- Giorgia Fornaciari | Stravinskij Bar at Hotel De Roussie | Rome
- Ivan Forcieri | Libertine | Montecatini Terme
Spain
- Almudena Castro | Dr.Stravinsky | Barcelona
- Cristina Raulea | Naked and Famous | Sevilla
- Vincenzo Amorese | Bad Company 1920 | Madrid
- Ainara Fernández | CREAM Coffee & Cocktail | Almeria
- Maurizio Santo Carlea | Soho House | Barcelona
- Lewis Kay | Two Schmucks | Barcelona
- Angel García | El coleccionista | Madrid
- Carlos Mendoza | Selvatico la minilla | Las Palmas De Gran Canaria
Hong Kong
- Luna Fukuhara | Gokan | Central
- Tsz Ting Adela Au | To Autumn | Tuen Mun
- Shing Fei Lee | Dio West Kowloon | Kowloon
- Harveer Singh | Champagne Bar Grand Hyatt | Wan chai
- Wong Chung Hang Jackie | Quinary | Hong Kong
- Chaser, Wai Yim Lo | Red Sugar, Kerry Hotel | Hong Kong
- Wing Yi Law | ohm... Cafe and Bar | Hong Kong
- Cheuk Fung Lee | Soho House | Hong Kong
Hungary
- Mirjam Szabo | Tuk Tuk Bar | Budapest
- Péter Gelencsér | Black Swan | Budapest
- Bence Stadler | Virtu Restaurant | Budapest
- Máté Fonyedi | Hotsy Totsy | Budapest
- Nazif Ezer | Türkiz Budapest | Budapest
- Péter Kovács | Blue Fox the Bar | Budapest
- Bence Németh | Higgi the Tiki | Gyor
- Jánoczki Ádám | Beerstro Steakhouse | Budapest
Germany
- Jan Sporleder | Bar Seibert | Kassel
- Chiara Dzemajlji | Toddy Tapper | Cologne
- Adelina Schefferski | Hamburg
- Tomislav Martinek | Nightflight Bar | München
- Clara Schoper | Zephyr Bar | München
- Carsten Fuchs | Petit Frere | Köln
- Dimitrios Demertzis | Bar Montez | Munich
- Mario Schulz | Bar Montez | Munich
New Zealand
- Jack Driver | Regent | Wellington
- Eliot Youmans | Bedford Soda & Liquor | Auckland
- Michael Jones | NoLoPlus | Wellington
- Dewi Barbieri | Amano | Auckland
- Cal Ross | Panacea | Auckland
- Dayyana Dimitrova | Jacuzzi | Auckland
Wild Card
- Noemi Marras | Widder Bar | Zurich
The 2025 ITALICUS Bar Artist of the Year will receive a bespoke mentorship program, including exclusive access to top international bar industry events, alongside a rare opportunity to collaborate with Lorenzo Antinori, founder of Bar Leone – Asia’s Best Bar 2024 and #2 in the world.
“With each year, the Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge continues to champion the aperitivo ritual while honouring bartenders as true artists,” says Founder and CEO, Giuseppe Gallo. “This edition brings a renewed focus on reimagining the spritz—a timeless serve—through the lens of modern creativity.”
ITALICUS Rosolio Di Bergamotto is available in a 750ml bottle at 20% ABV from retailers including Curiada at an SRP of $41.99.
About the ITALICUS® Aperitivo Challenge
The Art of Italicus challenge was born in 2018, as a Bartenders’ program to honor that bartenders are artists. The challenge was created as an advocacy platform, amplifying awareness and connecting creative bartenders globally, through educational and innovative programs.
Kicking off in January, The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo competition invites bartenders from around the world to create an original and unique aperitivo cocktail inspired by any form of art and crafted using the irreplaceable ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto.
About ITALICUS® Rosolio Di Bergamotto
ITALICUS was created by the authority of Italian spirits, Giuseppe Gallo, to bring back the forgotten Rosolio category. With key notes of Calabrian bergamot, ITALICUS is made using the finest Italian ingredients to create a sip of Italy. The striking bottle design embodies the history and heritage of Italy’s distinctive regions, while telling the story of Rosolio’s time-honored traditional drinking occasion of Aperitivo.
ITALICUS is one of the top awarded aperitivo brands globally. ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto was awarded Best New Spirit 2017 at the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, and Top Trending Liqueur Brand by Drinks International in the years from 2019 to 2023.
Additional awards include: DOUBLE GOLD - World Wine Spirits Trophy 2021; Italian Aperitif of the year GOLD MEDAL - NYISC 2021 and 2016; Tasting GOLD medal 2018, 2019 – Women & Wine and spirits awards; Best New European Spirit at the Mixology Awards 2017 in Berlin; Best Product at FIBAR 2017; Packaging awards GOLD MEDAL 2017 and Contemporary Awards TROPHY - International Wine & Spirits Competition 2017; Packaging Trophy - Harpers Design 2017; Gold Medal – San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017; Platinum Best of Luxury – Pentawards 2017; Best New Product – Bar Awards 2016; EXCEPTIONAL quality certificate – Difford’s Guide 2016.
About Giuseppe Gallo
Giuseppe Gallo is one of the world’s most respected bartenders and drinks-industry innovators, with an unrivaled passion for the drinks business and an inimitable source of knowledge and insight into the world of aperitivo. Hailing from the Amalfi Coast, his passion for mixology stems from his strong Italian heritage. Giuseppe is widely considered a vermouth expert and he has spent over 15 years traveling the world and educating consumers and professionals on the category. This work has culminated in winning ‘International Ambassador of the Year’ at the prestigious awards in the drinks industry, Tales Of The Cocktail’s Spirited Awards in 2014. In September 2016 he created Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto which reinvigorated a forgotten aperitivo category, which has won countless industry awards since its launch. In 2019, Giuseppe launched the Roma Bar Show, the first-ever international cocktail festival in the country.
For More Information:
Learn More
Stay Informed, Stay Competitive
Unlock the articles, expert interviews, and data reports that power the food and beverage industry. Join our community and stay ahead with exclusive insights from BevNET and Nosh.