L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015 L'Italo-Americano A fter three months of online competitions , Italian bartender Jacopo Rosito, 28, received the highest score among his Italian col- leagues and was recently select- ed as one of the 20 world final- ists that will fly to Amsterdam to shake spirits, and create new fla- vors with the goal of becoming the final w inner of the Bols Around The World (BATW) 2015 Bartending Championship. Originally from Florence, Rosito currently lives in San Francisco crafting and delivering fine Italian cocktails behind the full bar of 54Mint, an Italian restaurant located in the heart of the S outh of M arket dis trict (SoMa), on 16 Mint Plaza. "54Mint has been a bet for me," says Rosito. O w ner of the res taurant Gianluca Legrottaglie and Chef Mattia Marcelli are originally from Rome and they want to stay loyal to their origins, Rosito says. In fact, they were interested in bringing the Italian drinking culture of "Aperitivo" to down- town San Francisco, giving this w ay Ros ito the chance to become a propagator, serving for example the classic Florentine cocktail "Negroni" with compli- mentary homemade chips, salty almonds, and white lupin beans every day from 4-6 p.m. for $8. Before landing in S an Francisco in 2013 to stretch his horizons and be inspired by the A merican cocktail culture, Rosito was the head bartender of Four Season's Florence. Lavinia Pisani: What is the biggest difference between bar- ten d in g in I taly an d in th e U.S.? Jacop o R os ito: S an Francisco has a drinking culture that Italy doesn't have yet. Italy is improving [in this sense], bar- tenders are fantastic and we have nothing to envy, but cocktails are not appreciated as much as here. In San Francisco people get off work and go have a drink as a way to relax while exploring new flavors, spirits, and ingredi- ents that are unique. In Italy there is the "aperitivo" culture, which is different. Italians often drink the same thing over again, while tasting bites. They see this, as a time to socialize before going to dinner, or just hang out with friends […] Bartenders in Italy have more of a clas s ic imprint, in America some have become mixologists or artists who create drinks using particu- lar products, bitters, and spirits that are going to finalize researched cocktails. This is pos- sible in America also thanks to the variety of products and ingre- dients exported by other cultures such as the Chinese, that brought interesting tea and spices, or the Mexican, with tequilas, plants, and roots. This kind of selection can only be found in big coun- tries. LP: How did you end up participating at BATW and what did you take out from the experience? JR: I was in Florence the beginning of this year and I wanted to challenge myself by participating in an important worldwide competition. After a few months Bols Around The World would have started and so I decided to give it a try. The experience enhanced me espe- cially on a personal level, as it gave me the opportunity to con- nect with bartenders from around the world, share opinions and observe different approaches us ed by bartenders in A s ia, Europe, and the Americas. LP: What was the hardest BATW challenge for you to pass? JR: The 12 challenges were set out to defy all elements of bartending: humor, knowledge, skill, personality and creativity. I enjoyed all of them, but two in particular were the ones I appre- ciated the most: designing a tiki mug, and garnishing a cocktail, because also aesthetic wants its part. These were also the most challenging for me. I am not a good drawer and I don't have much inventive. H ow ever, I designed a tiki mug representing a bartender of the prohibition period with suspenders and mus- tache, and I garnished a cocktail using plants and orchids found in my home garden, which I placed later as creeper on the outside of the flute-shaped-glass, finished with an inside touch of silver pearls placed on the but- ton of the cocktail. LP: What's your number one role in crafting cocktails? JR : P aying attention to details. LA: What is the signature cocktail you are serving now? JR: The drink I am about to launch at 54 Mint, thanks to the BA TW competition, is a "S mokey O ld F as hion." It's made with Gin Jenever instead of Bourbon Whisky. Super-bar- tenders like Jerry Thomas [the father of American mixology] us ed to us e this gin. A ls o, instead of using regular sugar, I use sugar syrup infused with smoked Chinese tea. As a final touch drops of scotch will be dropped over the rim of the glass, garnished with a smoky cinnamon stick and orange peel and served on an ice-ball to slow down the dilution of the drink. LP: What's next? JR: Win Bols Around the World. The specific dates will be releas ed in A ugus t. I am absolutely happy to participate and as of today, I feel it's right to dream and I will do my best to score as high as I can in the September 2015 final. Rosito adds how great all other Italian participants have been and that it was also a plea- sure to see that second place was given to a woman: Emilia Bobac from Padova. Last year's Bols Bartending World Champion w as K ate G erw in from the United States. Jacopo Rosito: Italian Champion 2015 LAVINIA PISANI Jacopo Rosito. Photo credit: Lavinia Pisani Jacopo Rosito. Photo credit: Lavinia Pisani

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