The Beer & Food Attraction pavilion wasn’t just a trade show; it was a district where Red Bull played a triple ace, dismantling the romanticized notion of bartending to restore dignity to a profession built on numbers, sweat, and vision. Under the direction of Emanuele Bruni—the soul of The Prince Factory and Flair Project, a man who has stripped down and rebuilt the bar counter piece by piece—the competition became an irreverent approach to the bar world: fun and lighthearted, yet always with a sharp, clear focus on mixology.
Twenty bartenders. One counter. A single goal: to prove they aren’t just executors, but the professionals of the future.
TRAINING: THE LECTERN VS. THE “REEL”
Today’s society moves fast, too fast. People think they can learn a craft by watching a 30-second video, chasing aesthetic shortcuts. Red Bull decided to do the opposite: they brought the lectern to the fair. Within the pavilion, seasoned trainers were made available to the Bar Industry to stimulate the growth of new talent. They don’t teach how to make a “pretty” drink; they teach how to exist in a market that doesn’t wait for you. It’s a return to the basics: if you lack technique, if you haven’t studied, the bar will swallow you whole. Red Bull invests in substance because they know that talent without method is just noise.
BUSINESS: TOTAL SYNERGY
The circle closes where marketing and sales merge. Red Bull’s regional objective is to create a network where the distributor, the brand, and the bartender speak the same language. Training is 360°: internal for the sales force and external for wholesalers, aiming to create a powerful machine that knows how to intercept the customer everywhere. Socializing is returning to simplicity—to the quick drink and the chat at the bar. Anyone who doesn’t realize the bar is a place for networking is out of the game.
COMPETITION: THE COURT OF REALISM
The judges weren’t looking for the “perfect cocktail”; they were looking for the complete professional. Two profiles, one direction: Concreteness.
- LUCA DOMINICI (The Musketeer of Logic): For him, “Gives You Wings” isn’t just a slogan, it’s a formula. His message is built on substance—no more egocentrism. The drink must return to the center of the dialogue; it must be fast, elegant, and effective. His is a philosophy of applied logic: unconventional storytelling, less “I” and more real market. If you don’t know where you are, you don’t know what you’re serving.
- ELIA MICHELACCI (3D, Sweat, and Business): 27 years old, from Cervia. He manages two venues and accepts no excuses. If you need a tool and it’s not there, you 3D-print it. Elia embodies the bartender-entrepreneur: optimizing costs, upselling, and generating profit. The bar is pure business. He won the competition only after realizing that taking things lightly is the first step toward failure. Today, as a judge, he looks for emotional grit: that visible commitment that distinguishes those who are working from those who are just playing a part.
- TERRY MONROE: It is fundamental to value those who speak about the product, turning conversations into an asset rather than a liability. Currently, what’s missing is the ability to sell and be proactive. Training must overcome initial arrogance: learning how to read, interpret, and execute a recipe with the humility of those who know that superficial knowledge doesn’t last. We must abandon mass communication that perpetuates the same errors; instead, we aim to close the circle of experience with authentic commitment. Red Bull’s example is illuminating: they didn’t chase a trend; they created a lifestyle and a precise identity. It’s about standing out, launching something that by its very nature cannot be simply emulated, but represents a unique value.
“Elegance is being remembered. Red Bull is this: anticipating the times while staying within the times.”
