A Nottingham mixologist who moved to the city from Sicily when she was 21 has won a national award for her skills.
Jessica Stimolo learned her skills back home from her aunt who was a bartender and taught her how to blend ingredients and understand flavour pairings.
She and her partner moved to the UK when she was 21 and after visiting Nottingham decided to make the city their home.
Jessica, who works at Alea casino in Upper Parliament Street, beat eight other finalists to win Bartender of the Year at the Caesars Entertainment Chef & Bartender Awards 2019 in London.
The live final was a challenge between contestants to create two cocktails from scratch. Jessica spent two weeks researching and developing her mixology masterpieces. Her first drink, named The Forest, was presented in a glass dressed to look like part of a tree, with natural stones and woodland. It paired Tequila with Cognac and a dash of fresh lime, fresh pressed apple and almond syrup, finished with a touch of ginger ale.
Judges described it as "fresh, earthy and sublime".
Her second, Taste of the Sea, was created to give the judges a trip to a Sicilian beach with a box of treasure containing shells, dried seaweed and sand. The cocktail was a natural green colour and made with Malibu, Bacardi carta blanca, fresh lime, cucumber, basil and mint leaves.
She said: "I knew my cocktails were extravagant and would make an impact but I didn’t dare to think I’d win. I couldn’t wait to tell my family back in Sicily, who were very proud.
"I made sure my cocktails were fun and unique, something we always do at Alea Nottingham casino, ultimately I do the same thing that chefs do in the kitchen but with cocktails, each is a mini masterpiece.”
Alea Nottingham’s venue director, Lee Hall, said: "We’re absolutely thrilled. Her passion and commitment to deliver the highest quality cocktails always shines through - it’s a well-deserved accolade."
Before joining the team at Alea last year, Jessica worked in several restaurants in Nottingham.
Her award-winning cocktails will be available in the summer.
