CORIGLIANO D'OTRANTO The third edition of Spiritosa, the first festival of good and conscious drinking

From September 27th to 29th, nearly 100 guests, including speakers, bartenders, chefs, musicians, and sommeliers, will be present, along with over 300 wines from around the world for tasting, a rich program of masterclasses, talks, tastings, and guided and blindfolded tours, food and wine tastings, a cocktail competition, the Master Coffee Grinder Championship final, vintage markets, DJ sets, live music, special projects, and a large exhibition area spread across three levels inspired by the Divine Comedy. Three days of "recreational business" conceived by Sartoria degli Spiriti, in collaboration with numerous national and international organizations.

An original format that combines local promotion, food and wine culture, and slow tourism: the Flying Castle of Corigliano d'Otranto is preparing to host the third edition of Spiritosa . From Saturday 27th to Monday 29th September, the first Italian festival entirely dedicated to good and conscious drinking returns to the ancient fortress in the heart of Salento. Three intense days of " spiritual experiences " to get to know the sector's excellence first-hand through meetings with nearly 100 experts , producers , brand ambassadors , importers , distributors , bartenders , chefs , musicians , and sommeliers . A sensory journey with a touch of irony and over 300 labels from around the world for tasting. A program of masterclasses and talks by the Spiritosa Academy , tastings and guided and blindfolded tours , gastronomic proposals , a cocktail competition , the business room , the first bar-themed vintage market in Italy, DJ sets , and live music for a journey inspired by Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy . The exhibition spaces ( Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th from 4:00 PM to midnight, Monday the 29th from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM - admission €10, including 5 tastings ) will be set up to take advantage of the evocative spaces of the Castello Volante across three levels. The itinerary begins in hell, in the basement of the Cavallerizza Hall and the Medieval Hall , with an area dedicated to spirits, sodas, natural beverages, and coffee. Purgatory in the Moat will house beers, while in paradise, among the frescoes of the Noble Rooms on the first floor, you'll find wines and sparkling wines. GUESTS Among the people who have already confirmed their presence: Antonio Parlapiano (bartender and teacher of higher education, one of the owners of The Jerry Thomas Project Rome, the first Italian secret bar, six times in the World 50's best bars), Francesco Spenuso (advocacy manager Europe of Jack Daniel's), Rossella De Stefano (journalist, director of Mixer Planet), Daniele Gentili (bartender and marketing specialist of Red Bull Italy), Davide Ratta (founder of Ruggine in Bologna), Gaetano Massimo Macrì and Giampiero Francesca (co-founder of the Blue Blazer guide), Oscar Quagliarini (bartender and co-founder of Gocce di Senigallia), Mario Farulla (professional mixologist), Nino Rossi (starred chef, owner of Qafiz and Aspro Cocktail Bar), Marco Fabbiano (bartender and founder of Laurus in Lecce), Sandro Camilli (national president of AIS), Michele Antonio Fino (teacher at the University of Pollenzo and author of “Non me la bevo”, Mondadori), Marzia Varvaglione (president of the Committee of European Wine Entrepreneurs, president of the young people of the Italian Wine Union, and member of the board of the UIV), Luca Cesari (journalist and food and wine writer), Giovanni Puglisi (fermenter of ideas, wines and combucha), Nicola Biasi (agronomist and oenologist, leading Italian expert on Piwi wines), Angelo Zarra (creator and president of the Paestum Wine Fest), Luca Della Regina (wine blogger), Eugenio Signoroni (journalist and food and wine writer), Fabio Verona (senior trainer and creator of the Master Coffee Grinder Championship), Eleonora Pirovano (president of the International Women's Coffee Alliance), Simone Previati (Italian coffee grinding champion), Andrea Antonelli (Academy & Specialty Coffee), Fabio Bacchi (Roma Bar Show), Maurizio Zecca (Mebimport - Birra&Sound), Monica Noni (Brand ambassador Italia Diplomàtico), Valentina Serafino (sommelier and AIS taster), Nick Difino (author and TV host, food & tourism consultant), Davide Patta (owner and bartender at Ruggine in Bologna), Titti Dell'Erba (wine communicator and AIS sommelier), Santino Panettella (roaster and coffee trainer at Santinocaffè), Paola Restelli (freelance consultant for the wine industry). COMPETITION AND CHAMPIONSHIP Bartenders from all over Italy will compete in the final of the Spiritosa cocktail competition : directed by Francesco Spenuso and Massimo Macrì , it is a competition open to professionals in the mixed drinks sector. For the first time in Puglia, there will also be a stage of the Master Coffee Grinder Championship , the most important coffee grinding competition at the national level, conceived and led by Fabio Verona . FOOD AND MARKET An area will be dedicated to street food, with a selection of specialties from the Apulian gastronomic culture. Spiritosa will also host Italy's first vintage market entirely dedicated to the world of bars, featuring enameled plaques, professional equipment spanning the decades, tables and chairs from old bars, signs, calendars, furniture, and refrigerators. Scattered throughout the Castle are numerous bars where you can savor the Festival 's excellent liquids, and a Secret Bar , featuring a pop-up from six leading Italian cocktail bars— Ruggine (Bologna), Jerry Thomas (Rome), Drink Kong (Rome), Antiquario (Naples), Aspro (Santa Caterina d'Aspromonte, RC), and Rita Tiki (Milan)—that will surprise and delight anyone who manages to obtain an entry point and password. On the terraces of Nuvole , the Castle's cocktail bar and bistro, reservations will be available for dinner on Saturday and Sunday and lunch on Monday. MUSIC: Not forgetting the music, with DJ sets and live performances by national and international artists such as Pantu , Sorge , Tropicalia , Ennio Ciotta , About Ape , Max Nocco , Niuri te sule , and the Spiritosa Street Band's forays into gipsy, klezmer, Yiddish, waltz, tarantella, dixie, and funk. Saturday evening features Mexican DJ/producer Vice Luna , Milanese Play Eva, and the Apulian collective Mena, with DJ sets by Seme , Naif , and Lonoce , and a live act curated by Trevize . Worth noting is the world premiere of the musical project conceived by Jack Danyel's Italia after its launch in May at the Roma Bar Show, featuring a performance by B(r)and , a band made up of professional bartenders from some of Italy's best cocktail bars, who will perform some of the finest pieces from the international rock repertoire. OTHER NEWS: The Zerobarriere cooperative in Bari will host a blindfolded tour of the festival, allowing visitors to discover new sensations and enjoy an immersive, unique experience, including a blind tasting of spirits, wines, and beer, all guided by a blind person. The three-day program will also feature the Sommelier Astemio ( Teetotal Sommelier), an educational program for boys and girls with special educational needs, Birraut - Let's Drink to Inclusion , and Wineaut, which each offer a unique experience involving autistic people in the beer and winemaking process. THE FESTIVAL The third edition of Spiritosa – Festival del Bere Bene is organized by Sartoria degli Spiriti in collaboration with the Puglia Region and Puglia Promozione with the patronage of the Chamber of Commerce of Lecce , the Province of Lecce , the Union of Municipalities of Grecia Salentina , the Municipality of Corigliano d'Otranto , Confcommercio Lecce and Confindustria Lecce , in synergy with the technical partners AIS Italian Sommelier Association – Lecce , IAFeM-Italian Academy of Higher Education and Marketing and BECool – Banqueting Events Catering and with the support of the Brown-Forman Group (Jack Danyel's, Gin Mare, Rum Diplomatico), Mebimport , Cantine PaoloLeo and Propaganda Clothing . SARTORIA DEGLI SPIRITI The project was born from a vision of Michele Manca of Sartoria degli Spiriti , one of the most important Apulian companies specialized in training and services in the beverage sector. "Spiritosa is a visionary and ambitious festival that aims to create a large family of industry professionals," Manca emphasizes. "Through an innovative audience process and an unusual formula, it aims to experiment with and consolidate what I call 'recreational business.' At Spiritosa, in fact, we do business differently, promoting human connections, psychological and physical well-being, and conviviality." Launched in 2023, Spiritosa Festival is open to all enthusiasts and industry professionals, operating in both B2B and B2C formats. "The second edition exceeded all expectations, hosting more than 150 companies, 35 speakers, and four chefs, involving sixty professional bartenders from across Italy in the cocktail competition, for a total participation of over 7,500 people."