Valentino Longo Wins North America’s Most Imaginative Bartender Competition

Valentino Longo, the Head Bartender at Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club in Florida, has been named as North America’s Most Imaginative Bartender presented by Bombay Sapphire Gin.

From New Orleans to Texas, and all the way north of the border in Ontario, Canada, twelve finalists made the trip to Chicago to participate in the competition, but it was the creative genius behind Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar who won the annual competition.

Prior to the final round, Valentino participated in a series of competitions across the United States, including in Nashville and his current home, Miami. His talent and creativity brought him to the grand finale where he participated in three challenges - the Botanical Stage, the Canvas Challenge and the Final Cocktail Challenge.

The finalists were instructed to craft an original, new and innovative gin cocktail to present to the judges in under seven minutes. His final cocktail, The Decisive Moment used Bombay Sapphire Gin, fortified bergamot and sherry lactic blend, garnished with two drops of coconut olive oil and two drops of coffee balsamic.

"Competing with eleven of the best bartenders in the US has been not just a privilege, but a true honour," said Valentino. "We all learned how much we can give and how much we believe in ourselves but mostly, we learned that we're true artists in what we do in and outside of the bar. Thank you to Bombay Sapphire and Tales of the Cocktail for giving us a platform to express ourselves, reaching spaces that we didn't even know we could. Thank you for believing in this industry."

Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar is open Sunday through Thursday from 15:00 to midnight, and Friday through Saturday from 15:00 to 00:30.

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