Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto has reopened its Art of Italicus Aperitivo Challenge for 2026, inviting bartenders worldwide to reconceive the Spritz. The 10th-anniversary edition calls for Spritz-style serves featuring a minimum of 40 ml Italicus and no more than five ingredients, with creativity drawn from art, design or culture.
National heats will be held across participating markets — including China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US — with six shortlisted bartenders per country advancing to judged finals. Entrants must submit recipes, photos, measurements and inspiration by 15 May 2026, and Italicus will offer monthly social Q&A sessions to support submissions.
A global winner will be named Italicus Bar Artist of the Year 2026 and receive a mentorship with Giovanni Allario plus a spot in London’s September anniversary finals. The contest spotlights low-ABV cocktail innovation and positions Italicus as a driver of contemporary aperitivo creativity for bars and drinkers.
Image Credit: Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Low-abv Cocktail Innovation
- A shift toward lower-alcohol Spritz-style serves is creating space for new flavor-forward formulations and micro-dosage spirit products that alter consumption occasions.
- Aperitivo Reinvention
- By framing the Aperitivo as a contemporary cultural moment tied to art and design, bartenders and brands are expanding drink rituals beyond traditional Italian precedents.
- Cocktail-as-art Competitions
- Growing emphasis on judged, creative cocktail contests is elevating bartending as a form of performative craft and generating premium content and IP around signature serves.
Where This Applies
- Beverage-alcohol Manufacturing
- Brand investment in distinctive, low-ABV liqueurs and ready-to-serve aperitivo blends is poised to disrupt shelf categories and supplier relationships.
- On-trade Hospitality
- Hospitality venues focused on experiential aperitivo programming are redefining evening socialization norms and capturing higher-margin beverage spend.
- Events and Experiential Marketing
- Brand-led global competitions and mentorship-driven finales are transforming promotional campaigns into long-form content and talent pipelines for category storytelling.
