MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gra'it, an innovative Italian grappa developed for use in cocktails, has launched The Gra'it Challenge, a five-city competition that will award seven winners a 10-day trip to Italy. This is the first-ever grappa brand to organize a bartending competition of this magnitude. Skilled bartenders and mixologists in the U.S. can submit a recipe for a unique cocktail that uses Gra'it as its base ingredient at http://www.grait.it/accademia/.
A panel of nationally recognized judges, including Camper English, Julie Reiner and Vincenzo Marianella, will select the ten best cocktails in each city and those ten finalists will prepare their drink live in front of regional judges during Challenge rounds to be held in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Austin and Chicago.
Gra'it was co-created by Distillerie Bonollo Umberto, a 170-year-old family distillery located near Padova, Italy, and Luca Fabris, CEO of DBU USA Inc., Bonollo's U.S. subsidiary. Fabris said, "Gra'it mission is to make consumers and bartenders across the world aware of the fact that high-quality grappa is an incredibly smooth, versatile and flavorful spirit. There’s a lot to consider in grappa; there’s a lot to understand in what makes something grappa, how it’s made and what is within a grappa that makes it special. With so many talented bartenders in the Spirits industry who’ve elevated the profession to a form of art, we're enthusiastic to see how they creatively interpret Gra’it using our unique code of alchemy.”
The first challenge round will be held on Monday, December 12, 2016 at Beaker & Gray in Miami's Wynwood Arts District and the deadline to enter is November 20th. Guest judges include Julio Cabrera, Jamie Evans and Cesar Diaz.
Ben Potts, co-owner of Beaker & Gray and a nationally recognized bartender, said, “The Gra’it Challenge is exciting because it targets the best and brightest in the industry with something which is truly new, essentially a new ingredient — because this is not your traditional Italian grandfather’s grappa — and it lends itself to many creative expressions.”
After the Miami regional challenge, subsequent regional challenges will be held in 2017, first at Black Tail Bar in New York City on February 6 and then at locations still to be determined on March 6 in Los Angeles on April 18 in Austin and on June 5 in Chicago. The Grand Finale will be held on June 21 at Byblos in Miami Beach.
Gra’it is offered at over 300 trendsetting cocktail bars and restaurants, including The Broken Shakers, Beaker & Gray, The Anderson, The Regent Cocktail Club, The Corner and Byblos in Miami and Black Tail, Employees Only, Clover Club and Pegu Club in New York.
Frequent updates about The Gra'it Challenge can be found at http://www.grait.it/accademia/ and by following Gra’it on social media @GraitGrappa and by using #GraitChallenge.
About Gra'it
Gra'it was co-created by Distillerie Bonollo Umberto and Luca Fabris, CEO and partner of DBU U.S.A., Bonollo's U.S. subsidiary. It’s a straw-colored, smooth, modern grappa with light aromas of fresh and dried fruits distilled from the pomaces of the seven finest Italian grapes, including Brunello (Sangiovese), Nero d'Avola, Barolo (Nebbiolo), Prosecco (Glera), Amarone (Corvina), Moscato d'Asti and Aglianico and aged for 12 months in Slavonian oak casks. More information about Gra’it can be found at www.grait.it. Distillerie Bonollo Umberto is also known in the U.S. for Grappa OF Amarone, a luxury after-dinner grappa and Amaro OF, the first-ever Amaro matured in barrique casks. Visit the Distillerie Bonollo Umberto website at: http://www.bonollo.it/home-en-GB/.
