Campari Academy Update: A big start to 2022 with new sessions, fresh online content and big plans to inspire the bartenders of Australia

From left: Jay Lambert, Daniele Pirotta, Tristra Lilburne-Fini & Luca Baioni

Over the past few months, you will have seen our Brand Ambassador Team busy at work delivering both our “A Taste of Mexico” & “Exploring Vermouth” sessions around Australia. But we’ve also tirelessly been putting together an amazing calendar of trainings designed to educate, connect and inspire everyone who attends.

For those new to Campari Academy, let us introduce you to the individuals behind our award-winning programs and curators of our digital hub for bartenders (pictured above).
Meet Daniele Pirotta – Bartender Engagement & Advocacy Manager APAC, Jay Lambert – Campari Academy BA QLD/NT, Tristram Lilburne-Fini – Campari Academy BA NSW/ACT (2021 Australian Bartender Brand Ambassador of the year 2021) and Luca Baioni – Campari Academy BA VIC/TAS/WA/SA.

Campari Academy Training Program

We closed the year with “A Taste of Mexico”, introducing bartenders to the delicious and unique Montelobos Mezcal and Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueurs, some of the latest acquisitions in our portfolio. The sessions were taken to our capital cities on the Eastern seaboard along with regional hubs like Townsville, Bendigo and Newcastle to name a few, while being received with passion and positivity from those in attendance.

Montelobos & Ancho Reyes visionary Master Distiller Iván Saldaña

Mezcal is such a fascinating category and the work of Dr. Iván Saldaña, master distiller at Casa Lumbre, on our liquids is so superb that we had to add a couple more session dates in January around the country. We wanted to give everyone a chance to experience Montelobos and Ancho Reyes before they finally hit the wholesaler in limited quantities earlier in February.

Following on, we hit the road again bringing the first module for 2022, “Exploring Vermouth” to life by taking everyone on a journey through the history, rise and global appeal of vermouth through the lens of 1757 Vermouth di Torino. As always Campari Academy champions category education trying to focus on a topic and really deep diving into it. In fact, we didn’t stop at only vermouth and our brands (Cinzano and 1757) in isolation, but we worked on analysing and contextualising the category among many well-known and lesser known styles of aromatised and Fortified wines; allowing for bartenders to understand the breadth and importance of these type of products in their bars today.

We loved seeing so many regular friendly faces and new members alike joining our Training Programs. If you’re a Campari Academy member, you know that the team is going to bring out more exciting and compelling topics over the next few months. There’s always something to look forward to with the material that the team put together and curates.

As always, Campari Academy champions category education, trying to focus on a topic and really deep diving into it.

We look forward to delivering sessions on everything citrus (and its substitutes), a fresh look at ‘Classic American Cocktails’ and their relationship to aged spirits, an analysis of botanicals in amaro and amaro in cocktails and some Caribbean fun exploring the intricate relationship of rum styles and punches.

If you haven’t joined us yet, what are you waiting for? Each session will be an amazing opportunity to connect with other bartenders, share experiences and opinions, while being treated to new approaches to the categories we discuss. And obviously there are a few liquid samples along the way.

The Return of Campari Academy Masterclasses

The last two years have made it a little tougher than expected to hold larger Masterclasses hosted by international guest speakers, sharing their expertise and passion on a particular subject.

Back in 2021 we managed to host the amazing Sharon Flynn from The Fermentary to share insights on all things fermentation (check out the digital booklet on our website) but due to different travel and capacity restrictions we had to pivot to digital for the rest of our programs.

Denver & Liely glassware. Image: Denver & Liely

Having said that, we will be on the road again soon with our Masterclass series. We first spoke to Denver Cramer of Denver & Liely (@denverandliely) in mid-2021 and we are beyond excited to announce that in late March and early April we will be bringing ‘Engineering the Experience’ to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

This masterclass will be built through a collection of immersive experiences and engaging experiments. Our goal? To uncover the elements that enhance a customer’s whole experience, beyond “just” the liquid we serve in a vessel. This session will explore how this experience can be shaped and highlighted through different areas of engineering.

If you aren’t aware, Denver & Liely are an Australian duo creating arguably the best glasses to appreciate a diverse array of spirits, developed through rigorous testing and research, all through the lens of engineering. Their commitment to the spirits experience is exactly why we at Campari Academy gravitated towards bringing Denver on board to collaboratively deliver this masterclass.

Denver Cramer enjoying the Denver & Liely Agave Glass in the fields. Image: Denver & Liely

Don’t be afraid, this isn’t a session that will scare you with technical blueprints and heavy textbook science; but rather, thanks to Denver’s experience, it will be an opportunity to gain a greater understanding on why and how we can deliver and enhance customers’ experiences and how you can challenge the norms to go above and beyond. Dates are locked in for Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney (simply scan the QR code).

Educating and Connecting in the Digital Age

The Campari Academy isn’t only able to educate and inspire when physically in the same room at either a Training or Masterclass session, we have also been working to keep connecting and sharing our passion for the industry and knowledge digitally.

Our website (campariacademy.com.au) is your gateway to everything we do: from registering for our upcoming events to accessing our mobile-friendly digital learning materials from the previous sessions you may have missed, ready in the palm of your hands, anywhere in the world.

To top that off, check out our new video content library “CAMPARI ACADEMY TV” where you’ll be able to access videos on our key educational pillars: People, Brands and Drinks.
The best way to stay up to date is to follow us on Instagram (@CampariAcademy_AU) for weekly brand, category and drinks inspiration and use the QR code at the bottom to head to the Campari Academy website, sign up and never miss out.

See you soon at the next training program or masterclass near you, or why not, at your bar for a Montelobos Mezcal Negroni!

Salute,
Daniele, Luca, Jay & Tristram

For more information, head to the Campari Academy website or scan the QR code.