Claudio Iucolino

When I was 15 (fifteen) years old, I talked to dad and said, I want to have a Job, the year before I had a little experience as ‘Commis Chef’ (so they said, but i was actually preparing sauces, peeling potatoes, clearing fish and preparing fruit salad) in a Restaurant Kitchen, was intense and was dark when I was getting in and dark when I was coming out. That year at the end of the school I started watching around and I found near home two guys that had opened their bar for a couple of weeks, and they were looking for help. One was an experienced bartender and the other just the brother that was in business with, (Giuseppe and Diego) at the end of the day I could and had to mop the floor, prepare some nibble and do espressos, a part for some spare episodes when it was really busy and I could pour some amaros (then they asked me to stop as I was overpouring), by the end of the summer, after watching every single day all the summer long I mixed my first Americano (epic moment of my life, I swear). I kept on bartending as I had “acquired” experience, non constantly but with a certain frequency here and there, in a house party rather than in a private ceremony, with friends or with 500 guests alone because the RUSH IS LIFE! When I started to study at the University it became my week-end job, not because I needed it but because I liked it. To then become my Job and studying at the university was my week-days hobby, Sesto, was one of the few in town who could actually claim to have an American Cocktail DiscoBar, with a cocktails Menu that wasn’t flavoured vodkas and mixer, but actually IBA’s, Clara and Marco have taught me almost all I knew, maybe all I know. Then in 2012 I went to Valladolid (Castilla Y Leon) and passed one year alongside amazing people who were teaching me daily the language and the way of enjoying life while you work. It was Austerity time but they still gave me a job and some life lessons I’ll never forget, alongside El Cubi, a midweight Box Champion who was the owner of the bar aside from where I was working. At first I thought he was a competitor, then he happened to be my teacher, in the ring and behind the bar. The 13th of May 2013, I arrived at Stansted and the 15th I was behind the bar of Jamie’s Italian in Stratford, I stayed there for one year between continuous growth, liters of tears, tons of hugs and great vibes with people that I still keep on my side. I then Joined Primo Bar, in Westminster Bridge in a 1119 rooms Hotel, and there I passed 3 years from Senior Bartender to Senior Supervisor, then I moved to the institutional bar of the DRY MARTINI by JAVIER DE LAS MUELAS in London, where alongside a magnificent team I had fun and daily success and the opportunity to classify in the best 35 bartenders for DIAGEO WorldClass 2018. I also won the UK Bimber Distillery Martini challenge 2018 and Classified for the Global Finals of the Goral Masters of Master competition . After the summer, I joined the team at the prestigious Laddershed bar at the Chiltern Firehouse, where, really, any comment or description about the greatness of the experience would not pay enough credit to it. I won the Bulleit Frontier cocktail competition, and was also finalist in The Vero Bartender Amaro Montenegro competition, two times. After, I Joined the team at Lanique Spirit of Rose as Brand Ambassador, where with Jakub “Kuba’ Pesko (the Sales Manager who has chosen me) and Kieran Gandhi (A phenomenal Managing Director) I had the massive opportunity to explore and develop at the best all my influences and passions, leading and hosting masterclasses, creating pop-up bar events including The Rose Bar at the Volt Festival for 8 weeks, focusing on sales leads and new accounts, create and drive new cocktail listings, and support activations, on-trade training and new product development.