Andrea Civettini best mixologist in the world at the Amaro Montenegro international competition

PRESS RELEASE

Bologna, 28 November 2018 – The Vero Bartender, the cocktail competition by Amaro Montenegro, crowned the best international mixologist yesterday in Bologna, transforming the city into the bartending world capital for a day.

9 bartenders from the United Kingdom, Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Spain, USA, Germany and the Netherlands, winners of the national competition in their countries of origin, faced Michael Limoni, winner of the Italian contest, in Bologna.

Winner of the Vero Bartender Global 2018 title is Andrea Civettini with the cocktail Flor de Monte. Andrea, originally from Brescia, moved to Barcelona in 2016 where he started working at Paradiso and it is here that bartending became his real passion. In 2017 he moved to Vancouver where he studied and experimented with various cocktails. In 2018 he returned to Barcelona and to Paradiso, ranked in the Top 10 of the “Best European Cocktail Bars” in July.

The winner will attend a two-day workshop in London with Davide Degiovanni, Head Chef Union Street Café by Gordon Ramsey, and Simone Caporale, international mixologist winner of the International Bartender of the Year 2014 award.

Judging the performance of the 10 final bartenders was a jury comprising some of the world’s leading names of the sector: Marian Beke, international mixologist and Director of The Gibson in London, Jake Emen, journalist specialising in food&beverage, the Head Chef Davide Degiovanni and Matteo Bonoli, Amaro Montenegro Master Herbalist.

The participants had to face two tests during the day, one individual and one as part of a team, both inspired by haute cuisine. The first test consisted in a presentation by the bartenders of their Twist on Classic with Amaro Montenegro using culinary techniques applied to mixology. In the second test, the Secret Box, the finalists were divided into teams giving space to their creativity with the ideal cocktail to accompany a dish created by the chef for the occasion and inspired by the culinary tradition of the countries participating in the competition.

During the final, the 10 bartenders were also involved in an advanced training project that took them, for a week, to the most prestigious clubs in Italy and involved big names in mixology such as Peter Dorelli, Salvatore Calabrese, Alex Kratena , Marian Beke, and Daniele Gentili.

“The Vero Bartender project has grown considerably compared to previous years: we organised more than 50 masterclasses around the world in 2018, coming into contact with 1,500 bartenders” – said Marco Ferrari, CEO of Gruppo Montenegro. “Amaro Montenegro looks with increasing attention to foreign countries where, thanks to an innovative approach to mixology and mixability, it is gaining the appreciation of bartenders more and more, a community with which we wish to constantly strengthen our ties, through major events like this international competition.”

The profiles of the 9 finalists:

Michael Limoni, born in Faenza, has been cultivating both his passions for sports and mixology for several years. Then, inspired by the international bartending names, he dedicated himself to perfecting the Bar sector with studies and seminars, and is now the Beverage Supervisor and Consultant for La Fenice Catering & Banqueting. Today, he is Head Bartender at the Cafè del Viale in Faenza, that he has helped transforming it into a quality restaurant with a show kitchen.

Lukas Sedlmaier, originally from the Czech Republic, studied Hospitality & Tourism Management and then dedicated himself to bartending full time. This passion has allowed him to travel the world in the last six years, working in bars in various big cities, including New York and Auckland. He currently works in a small restaurant in Amsterdam, where he oversees the development of a typical Dutch distillate, the Jenever.

Armin Mohebbi, born and raised in Vienna, discovered a passion for creating new cocktails starting to work in a bar in the Austrian capital. This is how his dream of becoming a professional bartender was born. He worked in several small bars and cafés before graduating at the first bartender school in the Austrian capital in 2015. He started his current job at the Eberts Bar in 2017, of which he is the manager since June 2018.

Markus Müller, German, grew up in his parents’ restaurant and cultivated his passion for bartending from an early age. His first job “behind the counter” was the Japgo in Tübingen: here he learned from his teacher Gaetano Randone and followed him to the Bartista, where he stayed for six years. He moved to Berlin in 2016 and found a job at Hefner Bar, where he is still working mixing exclusive creations for his clients.

Andrea Civettini, born in Brescia, right after graduating from high school decided to take a leap year and travel the world. He was in Barcelona in 2016 where he started working at Paradiso and it is here that bartending became his real passion. Andrea moved to Vancouver, Canada, in 2017 where he studied and experimented several cocktails, while discovering North American culture. He returned to Barcelona and to Paradiso in 2018, ranked in the Top 10 of the “Best European Cocktail Bars” in July.

Kyle Erkes, born in the United States, after graduating in Engineering he understood righty away that his path was a different one. He discovered the world of bartending and started mixing the great classics, reading books and watching videos: he answered an advertisement for a job at a small bar and today, after four years, he is the head bartender. Of bartending, he loves meeting different people every night, chatting with them, and especially the creativity he can put into practice to offer them the best experience and make them happy.

Elsedio Huta, born in Tirana, started working in a bar at just 14 years of age. He changed several clubs until he became a professional bartender at the age of 20.  He currently works at Fusion, one of the best known venues in the Albanian capital.

Aleksandra Jaworska, born and raised in Poland, moved to Edinburgh in 2014 where she recently graduated in Hospitality and Tourism Management. She began working in various bars and hotels in the Scottish capital to pay for her studies and discovered her passion for bartending. Shortly after graduating she got a job at Bullard and Worth, a luxury cocktail bar where she had the opportunity to expand her knowledge of the industry and learn new skills.

Xander Dedroog, born in Belgium, with various experiences in the bar area, he discovered his passion for mixology in 2016. He worked for two years at the Dirty Rabbit in Antwerp, where he learned the art from Yuni Herremans. After returning to Leuven, his home town, he started working at Bar Nine, where he still is.

Will Krepop was born in the United States and moved to Australia a few years ago.  He has worked in some of the best cocktail bars in the Melbourne area before joining the Jungle Boy Bar in Windsor, where he is still working. He defines himself as passionate for his job and attentive to the experience offered to the client. His travels between Australia and Asia constantly inspire his drinks.

AMARO MONTENEGRO

The year is 1885 and, after long and fervent experimentation, Bologna-born herbalist Stanislao Cobianchi finally invents one of the most iconic Italian liqueurs of all time, Amaro Montenegro.
A legendary product that for over 130 years has offered the same unique taste and quality that make Amaro Montenegro Italy’s number one amaro. This unchanging tradition is reflected in the bottle too, with its iconic shape; a bottle that has always set Amaro Montenegro apart, jealously protecting its character, as well as its taste. Indeed, Amaro Montenegro is still made today to the same traditional recipe, with its intriguing blend of 40 botanicals including herbs, spices and citrus fruits; a formula and process which have been kept secret for over a century, and which give Amaro Montenegro its unmistakable taste and extraordinary complexity.
Thanks to this unique organoleptic profile, Amaro Montenegro is a surprising and versatile ingredient for innovative cocktails or twists on great classics that are already hugely popular in the world of mixology both in Italy and abroad.

GRUPPO MONTENEGRO

Founded in 1885, Gruppo Montenegro is a leading Italian Spirits and Food manufacturer. The Group’s brands have developed into icons of the “Made in Italy” with strong brand equity and significant top of mind: Amaro Montenegro, Vecchia Romagna, Bonomelli infusions, Infrè decaf tea, Olio Cuore, Cannamela spices, Polenta Valsugana, Pizza Catarì. Their success is the result of constant pursuit of excellence, respect for tradition and attention to product quality and sustainability, all values that have defined the Group since its foundation. Thanks to a solid national and international distribution network, the brands are true ambassadors of the Italian way of life.