Roma Bar Show launches awards

The third edition of the Roma Bar Show will return to the Italian capital next month, featuring a new awards platform to highlight the country’s bartenders and venues.

Founded by Giuseppe Gallo in 2019, Roma Bar Show (RBS) celebrates the Italian drinks industry and cocktail scene.

The two-day show will be held from 29-30 May at the Palazzo dei Congressi conference centre in Rome, and will feature hundreds of brands and operators from across the global spirits sector.

A new feature for this year will be the Roma Bar Show Awards, which will aim to reward ‘Italian excellence’ in the bar industry. Nominations from venues and bartenders can be submitted for free online until 16 May.

It will cover six categories: Best Cocktail Bar, Best Bartender, Best New Cocktail Bar, Best Hotel Bar, Best Food Programme, and Best Social Media Presence.

The awards ceremony will be held on 29 May from 12.30pm to 2.30pm CET.

Gallo said: “We are so excited to welcome in Italy our friends and colleagues from around the world for a better, bigger and more inclusive bar show that embraces the world of mixology, and celebrates the excellence of craft cocktails.”

The show will also include The Piazza Italia, showcasing Italian-made products such as vermouth, amaro, grappa and aperitivos.

Another new addition is The Mexican Village stage, which will be set on a terrace overlooking Rome. This area will be dedicated to agave spirits and will feature music, cocktails, food and distiller talks.

The educational programme will see international speakers discuss topics such as inclusiveness, diversity, sustainability, and the evolution of the bar industry.

The Auditorium Main Stage will include talks from Julie Reiner, New York-based bar owner; Japanese bartender Shingo Gokan; Stefano Catino and Martin Hudak from Maybe Sammy in Sydney, Australia; Giacomo Giannotti from Paradiso bar in Barcelona, Spain; and Monica Berg, co-founder of London bar Tayēr + Elementary.

The RBS Academy will focus on techniques and innovation in the bar industry, with Marc Alvarez presenting his new Barcelona bar concept, Essencia by Sips.

Other venues taking part include Athens-based Line, Gibson from Berlin, Mexico City’s Limantur, Sydney’s Maybe Sammy, and Tokyo’s SG Club.

Across three nights (28-30 May) there will also be off-show events, guest experiences and brand parties.

In other on-trade news, the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation revealed the top 10 regional nominees for the Spirited Awards 2023.