Hosted by the renowned hospitality school Bartolomeo Scappi in Bologna, the competition challenged participants to create an original cocktail that perfectly paired with one of Surgital's signature pasta dishes. The focus extended beyond mixology, testing creativity, flavour pairing, and storytelling through gastronomy.

For the competition, I created Dolcezza d'Estate, a gin-based cocktail featuring a herbaceous and fruity tomato lemonade, finished with olive bitters. Designed to complement the selected pasta dish, the cocktail celebrated the fresh, vibrant flavours of an Italian summer while balancing acidity, botanicals, and savoury notes.

The cocktail was awarded 1st Prize, earning me an invitation to represent Surgital as a guest bartender at CIBUS, Italy's leading international food exhibition in Parma. What began as a creative challenge became an opportunity to showcase my work on an international stage and represent the brand throughout the week-long event.