Altamura Cocktail Competition Winner Announced

Beetroot, miso and vodka: Florence bartender wins Altamura cocktail competition

Beetroot, miso and soy sauce might sound more at home in the kitchen than in a cocktail glass, but the combination has helped Florence bartender Michael Collovigh take the Italian title at the Altamura Distilleries Competition 2026. (read about our tasting of the vodka here)

Collovigh, from Gucci Giardino in Florence, won with The Devil’s Trencadís at the final held at Locale Firenze on 9 October. He beat four fellow finalists and will represent Altamura Distilleries at international bar events throughout 2027.

A classic cocktail with a savoury twist

Inspired by Satan’s Whiskers, The Devil’s Trencadís brings together Altamura Distilleries Vodka, dry vermouth, fresh orange juice and a radicchio-based cordial called Les Conspiracions. Beetroot extract, miso water and soy sauce add the savoury elements.

There’s some kitchen science involved, too. The radicchio cordial is treated with two enzymes: one to help extract flavour and another to remove almost all of its bitterness. The cocktail is designed to balance citrus with umami, using techniques more often associated with food preparation.

“I wanted to build a drink the way a chef builds a dish, layer by layer, and Altamura gave me the perfect canvas,” said Collovigh.

A little Gaudí in the glass

The name takes its inspiration from trencadís, the Catalan mosaic technique associated with Antoni Gaudí, in which broken pieces are arranged into new compositions.

That idea carries through to the presentation. Satan’s Whiskers appears in The Savoy Cocktail Book in two versions: ‘straight’, made with Grand Marnier, and ‘curled’, made with Curaçao.

Collovigh’s interpretation gave the judges a choice of two serves: straight up in a Nick & Nora glass, or over ice in a curved, colourful glass inspired by Gaudí’s palette. Both are served without a garnish.

An international judging panel

Now in its second year, the competition held four semi-finals across Italy before bringing its finalists together in Florence.

The judging panel included Giacomo Giannotti of Barcelona’s Paradiso, Stefano Catino of Sydney’s Maybe Group, Frank ‘Franky Kurt’ Maldonado of Employees Only in New York, and Tommy Wong of Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou.

They were joined by Giorgia Fornaciari of the Stravinskij Bar at Rome’s Hotel de Russie. Having won the inaugural competition in 2025 with Anima Bruciata, she returned to judge this year’s finalists after representing the brand at international events in 2026.

Vodka with roots in Puglia

Altamura Distilleries Vodka is made entirely from Altamura durum wheat grown in Puglia, the grain also used to make the region’s PDO-protected Pane di Altamura.

Triple distilled and bottled at 43% ABV, the vodka is described by the producer as creamy and full-bodied, with notes of aniseed, cracked pepper and lemon zest. Collovigh worked with its savoury, peppery character when developing his winning drink.