August 1st 2022 — Hampton Water Rosé is excited to announce the winner of their new annual “Rosé Rock Star Competition,” in partnership with the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG). Breaking new ground as the USBG’s first ever wine-based cocktail competition, the search for the ultimate Rosé Rockstar is an opportunity for the best of the best in cocktails to come together and face off in the ultimate cocktail making competition, using a key ingredient: Hampton Water Rosé.
Five finalists from around the country were selected from 13 semi-finalists to join Jon Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse Bongiovi, for the finals in The Hamptons. The contestants all created intricate and delicious cocktails featuring fresh ingredients from trusted partner, Fresh Direct, and the winner now carries the Rosé Rock Star title, along with a signed guitar by Jon Bon Jovi. Guests from all over the country joined in to cheer on the contestants and congratulate the winner.
“It was such an honor to meet with and learn from the contestants of the first ever Rosé Rockstar Competition. Watching them create their drinks was not only inspiring but showed how versatile Hampton Water can be. We were excited by the idea of hosting a contest with the USBG but each of this year’s competitors really raised the bar for future competitions,” Jesse Bongiovi, Co-Founder of Hampton Water.
The four runner-up finalists are Michael Guzman, Lauren Pellecchia, Tobias Steeves, and Aistis Zidanavicius. The winner was Nigal Vann from Chicago with his delicious “Runway” cocktail. Hampton Water’s decision to partner with the USBG to bring wine to the cocktail space is a nod to the brand’s motto, that Hampton Water can be enjoyed everywhere, by everyone, anytime! Rosé is not just for summer and the delicious cocktails that the contestants created prove just that. The goal in holding this new annual event is to bring people together and open people’s eyes to the endless possibilities that rosé offers.
About Hampton Water
Jon Bon Jovi and Jesse Bongiovi shared a vision to create a unique rosé and bring people together, using Jesse’s upbringing in the Hamptons as inspiration. The two created the full concept of the brand and brought on famed French winemaker, Gerard Bertrand to bring their vision to life. The wine is fresh and lively, intensified by aging in French Oak barrels for 30-60 days. Hampton Water has also been given four consecutive 90 Pt. ratings from Wine Spectator, earned a spot on WS Top 100 list, and has been awarded Market Watches Best New Product in Wine as well as the Wine and Culture Wine Star Award from Wine Enthusiasts.
About the USBG
Bars & restaurants are where communities come together. Through national & local charity initiatives, we connect with the neighborhoods that welcome our establishments and the people who we entertain each night. To us, a key part of growing professionally is supporting the communities where we serve through our core values: Service, Integrity, Sharing Knowledge, Tradition, and Camaraderie.
While the bar industry has exploded over the last 60 years, we’ve supported individual bartenders. After putting down California roots in 1948, we incorporated as a nonprofit (50 years strong!) and are now active in over 50 cities nationwide. USBG members don’t follow trends– we set them, and passionately advocate for bartenders nationwide to do the same.
We believe tending & owning bars is an honorable career choice. Our goal is to empower bartenders to take charge of their careers. We accomplish this through working with our committed partners to enrich the career advancement of our members through peer-to-peer learning, expert instruction, service projects, and competition. Since knowledge is power, our chapters hold cocktail competitions, sponsor intimate seminars with internationally recognized brand representatives, and forge relationships between top bar talent in 50 cities and counting. We offer all our members opportunities to compete, travel around the world, and spread knowledge in the pursuit of elevating our craft.
