Bartender competition | KRG Hospitality

The Sixth: Art of ITALICUS Returns for 2024

by David Klemt

Your bar team members have the opportunity to participate in the sixth-annual Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge and win an invaluable prize.

There are multiple prizes, really. For example, national finals winners take the title of ITALICUS Bar Artist for their country, for 2024. They also walk away with a ticket to the global finals, which take place in Rome.

After the global finals, one winner will earn the title ITALICUS Bar Artist of the Year 2024. However, taking nothing away from this title, there’s another prize that I feel should drive every competitor to truly outshine their competition.

The ITALICUS Bar Artist of the Year will head to the incredible Cafe La Trova in Miami to participate in a mentorship program. Given that Julio Cabrera is such an influential member of the hospitality world, this prize represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Now, as an operator or leadership team member, you may wonder what this news has to do with you. It’s simple: Encouraging your bartenders to participate in this competition and others like it shows you care about their career progression.

Bar team members who want to take part in competitions get to show off their creativity to a wider audience, become known to brands, and network with peers outside of their local communities. They can also discover and bring back tips, techniques, and lessons to your bar, restaurant, nightclub, or hotel.

In this case, one bartender will return to their bar or restaurant with lessons from the Cafe La Trova team. That’s priceless insight that will benefit their entire team.

For crucial competition details, please read the Art of the ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge press release below.

Good luck to all of the participants!

ART OF ITALICUS APERITIVO CHALLENGE RETURNS FOR 2024 IN PURSUIT OF THE BEST ART-INSPIRED APERITIVO COCKTAIL

New York, NY (January 9, 2024) – Today, The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge returns for its sixth edition, inviting bartenders from around the world to create an original and unique aperitivo cocktail inspired by any form of art and crafted using ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto.

The Winner of the renowned industry challenge will be crowned ITALICUS Bar Artist of the Year 2024 and win a trip to Miami for a once in a lifetime mentorship program with Cafe La Trova by Julio Cabrera. Nominated in 2023 as one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, Cafe La Trova is the true embodiment of hospitality, welcoming guests with impeccable warmth, attention to detail and service, crafting a truly memorable experience for anyone who visits. The “cantinero culture,” which is synonymous with the venue, embraces the most important values of the cocktail industry, making it the perfect inspiration for the new Art of Italicus participants. As part of the prize, the 2024 ITALICUS Bar Artist will have the opportunity to experience what makes this bar truly special and discover one of the most vibrant art cultures in Miami’s iconic surroundings.

Reflecting the brand’s passion for Italian art and design, The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge is built on the belief that bartenders are artists and offers them the opportunity to expand their creativity whilst experimenting with new ingredients, techniques and glassware to showcase the versatility of ITALICUS. Each recipe must be in an aperitivo style and can be inspired by any form of art such as sculpture, painting, fashion, music, architecture and much more.

The competition will welcome entrants from 13 countries including Croatia/Slovenia, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Swiss, United Kingdom and the United States. Bartenders from other countries will be able to apply through a Wild Card entry, offering them the opportunity to win a spot at the global final in May in Rome.

Giuseppe Gallo, founder and CEO of ITALICUS, comments:

“Now in its sixth year, The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge celebrates aperitivo culture while encouraging bartenders to express their creativity, looking to art in its various forms as way of inspiration. Meeting with the industry’s emerging talent through this program gives me a great deal of pride and is something I hope continues for many years as a way of keeping our community connected, working together and empowering one another.”

The 2024 Competition

Competitors are tasked with creating an original aperitivo cocktail using a minimum of 40ml (1.5oz in US) of ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto and a maximum of five ingredients. Participating bartenders must upload their unique recipe alongside an image of their creation including measurements, garnishes and glassware recommendations to the competition website before February 20, 2024 in order to be in with a chance of winning. Competitors are also required to share their inspiration and the story behind their aperitivo cocktail and encouraged to suggest food pairings for their recipe.

Applications for The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge 2024 will be open from January 9 through February 20. Recipes can be submitted via the website: https://imbibemagazine.com/art-of-italicus/.

Entrants are also encouraged to share their creations on social media ahead of the competition, using the following hashtags: #ITALICUS #ROSOLIODIBERGAMOTTO #ARTOFITALICUS #AOI24

National Finals

The national finals will take place throughout March and April (March 4 – April 12) where the eight shortlisted bartenders will present their cocktail creation to the judging panel across eight minutes and including at least three serves. The winner of the national final will receive the title of ITALICUS Bar Artist of their country 2024 along with a ticket to participate in the global final which will be held in Rome.

Global Finals

On May 12, the national finalists will compete against one another in Rome in a bid to earn the coveted title of ITALICUS Bar Artist of the Year 2024 as well as a once in a lifetime opportunity and mentorship with one of the world’s most influential bars, Cafe La Trova by Julio Cabrera. During the trip to Miami, the winning bartender will be accompanied by a film crew who will document their experience and create a documentary video which will later be released on social media.

For further information on The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge, please visit www.artofitalicus.com.

Image: ITALICUS

Prepare Now for Old Fashioned Week

by David Klemt

Lynn House making Old Fashioned cocktails for Elijah Craig

Lynn House making Old Fashioneds for Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week.

It may be nearly two months away but it’s not too early to register your bar and team for Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week.

This year’s event, the fourth annual Old Fashioned Week, will take place from Friday, October 13 to Sunday, October 22.

As was the case in 2022, the Southern Smoke Foundation will be this year’s beneficiary. In 2020 and 2021, Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week raised a combined $200,000 for the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.

Just last year, to add context, Old Fashioned Week helped make it possible for Southern Smoke to provide nearly $110,000 in relief grants to food and beverage workers.

Those interested in participating this year can register their venue for free via this link. Create an Old Fashioned LTO menu—or simply make standard Old Fashioneds with Elijah Craig bourbon—and Elijah Craig will donate $1 for every Old Fashioned sold (up to $100,000).

There really couldn’t be a simpler way to deliver a fantastic, classic cocktail experience to guests while supporting a great cause.

Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Cocktail Contest

There’s more to Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week. You and your bartenders have the opportunity to participate in a cocktail contest, too.

From now until October 31, anyone who wants to throw their hat in the ring can submit their recipe for their own signature Old Fashioned.

The winner of the Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Cocktail Contest will win $5,000. They’ll also have their winning recipe included in Elijah Craig’s 2024 cocktail recipe book.

Recipes can be submitted through this link. For contest rules and judging criteria, please click here.

To learn more about Elijah Craig and the Old Fashioned, check out episode 52 of the Bar Hacks podcast with special guest Lynn House.

Four unique takes on the Old Fashioned can be found below.

4 Day Weekend

Recipe by Stephanie Andrews

2 oz. Elijah Craig Bourbon
1/2 oz. Grilled Peach Gomme Syrup (see note)
4 dashes Lapsang Souchong Tea–Honey Mustard Bitters (see note)
BBQ Spritz (see note)
Grilled peach slice to garnish
Lemon zest to garnish

Prepare an Old Fashioned glass with a large ice sphere or cube. Add ice and first three ingredients to mixing glass. Stir, then strain into prepared glass. Mist BBQ spritz over drink, then garnish.

Note for syrup: Prepare five ripe peaches, removing pits and slicing into pieces. Grill over high heat until peach pieces have grill marks. Dissolve two tablespoons gum arabic in one quart of water in saucepan, whisking constantly. When gum arabic has dissolved fully, add four cups sugar. Again, whisk until dissolved fully. Add peach pieces and steep overnight. Strain, discard peaches, and store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to two months.

Note for bitters: Add 750ml of neutral grain spirit, two tablespoons Lapsang souchong tea leaves, and two tablespoons black tea leaves to a mason jar and shake vigorously. Next, add the peel of one lemon, one cinnamon stick, one teaspoon grains of paradise, and one tablespoon honey mustard to mason jar. Allow mixture to rest for one to two weeks, then strain into a bottle. Bitters may be stored for up to two months at room temperature.

Note for spritz: This recipe is a bit…different. Char eight high-quality beef hotdogs on a grill. Once charred, chop hotdogs into small pieces, place into a sous-vide bag with 750ml of Elijah Craig bourbon, and cook for two hours at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Strain and pout into an atomizer or mister. The spritz can be stored for up to two months at room temperature.

Borrowed Time

Recipe by Alec Bales

1.25 oz. Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
0.75 oz. St. Lucian Bounty dark rum
0.25 oz. Sorghum syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes Regans’ orange bitters
Round of lemon peel to garnish

Stir all ingredients except for garnish in a rocks glass. Stir, add ice, then stir again. Express oils from lemon peel, then drop into glass to garnish.

A Swallow’s Leave

Recipe by Caer Maiko

2 oz. Butter chestnut–infused Elijah Craig bourbon (see note)
0.25 oz. Soy-caramel syrup (see note)
3 dashes Adzuki bean–Angostura bitters (see note)
Coin-shaped orange peel to garnish

As with the recipe above, add all ingredients minus garnish to an Old Fashioned glass, add ice, and stir. Flame the orange peel, then drop into glass to garnish

Note for infusion: Melt a teaspoon of unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add eight shelled chestnuts to pan. Cook chestnuts until lightly charred and butter is lightly browned. Add a 750ml bottle of Elijah Craig bourbon and, while still warm, the contents of the saucepan to a mason jar. Leave jar in a freezer for eight hours, then fine strain back into original bottle.

Note for syrup: Simmer three ounces brown sugar, three ounces turbinado sugar, and a half-ounce soy sauce in six ounces of water in a saucepan over medium heat for ten minutes. Ensure all solids dissolve fully, then let cool and pour into appropriate container.

Note for bitters: Wash the syrup from a half-cup of canned adzuki beans. Place into a glass container with four ounces of Angostura bitters. Muddle, then cover container and leave for 12 to 24 hours before passing mixture through a strainer into another appropriate container.

Santiago’s Luck

Recipe by Jake Powell; makes 10 servings

15 oz. Elijah Craig bourbon
5 oz. Cold-brew concentrate
1.5 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
1.5 oz. Amaro Nonino
1.5 oz. Cinnamon-infused banana liqueur (preferably Tempus Fugit; see note)
0.25 oz. Orange bitters
Optional: Pinch of salt
Orange twist to garnish

Add all ingredients, minus garnish but including pinch of salt if you so choose, to a 750ml bottle. One serving is two ounces over a large ice sphere or cube in a rocks glass.

Note for infusion: Prepare a 750ml bottle of banana liqueur by adding three or four cinnamon sticks to it. Let sit for 24 hours at room temperature, then strain into either a separate 750ml bottle or into another container, then back into original bottle.

Image: Elijah Craig