THE ART OF ITALICUS APERITIVO CHALLENGE CROWNS WINNERS

The winners include Guchuan Yin, Dmytro Shovkopolias and Ayaka Yamamoto

The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge announced the winners of their U.S. competition. Guchuan Yin from Double Chicken Please in Manhattan, New York won first place with his recipe, “Bergamot Nomad,”  while Dmytro Shovkopolias from Medium Cool in Miami, Florida and Ayaka Yamamoto from Bar Moga in Manhattan, New York won second and third place respectively. The challenge 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. 

The U.S. final took place at Carversteak in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 4, hosted by a panel of renowned judges including Caroline Pardilla, Imbibe’s Digital Content Editor, Giuseppe Gallo, ITALICUS’ Founder and Francesco Lafranconi, the VIP Hospitality and Beverage Director at Carver Road Group. 

The winning recipe by Guchaun Yin from the number one bar in North America’s 50 Best Bars in 2023, Double Chicken Please, is titled “Bergamot Nomad.” The “Bergamot Nomad” cocktail features ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto, bergamot juice, green tea mizu shochu, umeboshi brine, chamomile soda and is garnished with a umeboshi plum.

“It’s inspired by an art called ‘Japanese Landscape’ by Kiyohara Tama, who is a nomad Japanese artist but traveled to Italy around the 19th century,” says the winner of The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge, Guchuan Yin. “Her work is a fusion of the Italian oil painting techniques with Japanese aesthetics and culture. Bergamot itself is also a nomad fruit originating from southeast Asia and traveled to Europe at around 1000 AD. The drink is a fusion of Italian Aperitivo and Japanese Shochu Highball, just like bringing the bergamot nomad back to its origin.”

Dmytro Shovkoplias, from Medium Cool in Miami, Florida, was named the second finalist in The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge. His cocktail recipe “Timelapse” is perfect for the warming weather as it includes ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto, smoked cranberry juice, grapefruit juice and pink grapefruit soda and is garnished with a grapefruit-stuffed olive and grapefruit oils. 

Dmytro Shovkoplias says “The ‘Timelapse’ cocktail is inspired by Metaphysical art and is well connected to the Aperitivo tradition as a social moment when we can put our daily routine on pause, taking time to enjoy delicious drinks.” He adds, “Born in 1917, metaphysical painting is an Italian art movement through the work of Carlo Carra and Giorgio de Chirico in Ferrara. They depict fabulous images with figures and objects, naturally frozen in time, giving the viewer a sense of stepping out of reality to see things in new ways absent of preconceived meaning.” 

Finally, Ayaka Yamamoto from Bar Moga in Manhattan, New York was named the third finalist in The Art of ITALICUS Aperitivo Challenge. His recipe the “Prologue” adds citrus profiles, mixing ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto with joto umeshu, citrus mix (lemon and yuzu), Peychaud’s bitters, prosecco and garnishing his cocktail with homemade umeshu jelly. 

Ayaka comments “The ‘Prologue’ is inspired by the opera’s opening scene and the opera music, ‘Home Sweet Home,’ and my New York City story.” He continues, “Umeshu, my hometown aperitif drink, represents the warmth of the home that I miss. The Italian aperitif signifies my new life and chosen family in New York City. The cocktail itself is the bridge, blending both worlds like the ‘Home Sweet Home’ aria’s bittersweet emotions. It’s a celebration of my journey, new beginnings, and the enduring love for my roots.”