Amante 1530 Wins WSWA's 2025 Brand Battle at Access LIVE in Denver

Emerging Aperitif Brand Rises Above the Competition at WSWA's Premier Industry Showdown

DENVER, Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) is proud to announce Amante 1530 as the champion of the 2025 Brand Battle competition, held yesterday during Access LIVE — the beverage alcohol industry's premier gathering for wholesalers, suppliers and retailers.

Hosted by Elliott Clark, founder of Apartment Bartender, this year's Brand Battle brought together some of the most innovative emerging brands in wine and spirits. Seven fierce competitors took to the stage, each presenting their brand's story, market potential and unique product attributes before a panel of expert judges. After an intense showdown of four-minute pitches, Amante 1530 emerged victorious, impressing both judges and audience with the strength of their pitch, the quality of the product and their plan to go to market.

Amante 1530 is a modern take on the timeless art of Italian spirit-making. Born from a collaboration of close friends, the brand's signature amaro was crafted to capture the essence of "la deliziosa vita," the delicious life. Developed at the historic Il Palagio 1530 estate in Tuscany, Amante 1530 reinvents the classic amaro in a bittersweet yet refreshingly modern aperitivo experience.

"We've been building Amante methodically and carefully over the past year, making sure we put everything we had back into the market," said Ana Rosenstein, Amante's founder and CEO. Thrilled to have won WSWA's Brand Battle, she acknowledged the opportunity the contest offers to help foster new connections with distributors who can propel the brand forward.

"Our hope is to come away from this win with strategic partners who are as excited about our boots-on-the-ground, liquid-to-lips strategy to expose us to as many consumers, bartenders, and both on- and off-premise accounts as humanly possible," said Rosenstein.

The competition was judged by a panel of industry experts, including Drew Levinson of Breakthru Beverage Group, Ryan Moses of Best Brands Inc., Ray Lombard of Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Sara Harmelin of Allied Beverage Group, Sly Cosmopoulos of Republic National Distributing and Gary Gruver of Marriott International. The panel evaluated each competitor on brand potential, product quality and storytelling.

"I think this is my fourth or fifth year judging this contest," said Vice President of Business Development at Breakthru Beverage Group Drew Levinson, "and it's definitely one of the most competitive fields I've seen. All of the brands came very well prepared and put their best foot forward to showcase their unique proposition. I foresee these brands becoming very successful in the future."

In addition to Amante's pitch, the judges were impressed by the presenter's depth of knowledge of product and market strategy. "It's so great to see they've done their homework in a competitive category, bringing a unique spin on an old category," said Levinson.

Rosenstein expressed her thanks to the judges and audience, and especially for the other competitors for making the contest a real nail-biter. "The field of entrants was truly spectacular. I think every single brand had a real shot at winning today, and I am honored that it was us!" she said.

Brand Battle has served as a launching pad for several breakout brands in the industry, and this year's competition once again showcased the next generation of category disruptors. With this win, Amante 1530 has claimed a place as a brand to watch in 2025 and beyond.

For more information about WSWA's Brand Battle, to view a list of past winners, or to learn about Access LIVE, visit https://accesslive.wswa.org/.

WSWA congratulates all the finalists:

• Deko Cocktails, Michael Handman & Ushi Shafran
• The Hidden Sea, Richie Vandenberg
• Devil's Grin Gin, Brett Luchesi
• Amante 1530, Ana Rosenstein
• Flyer's Cocktail Companion, Craig "Lewie" Lewis
• Mala Mia Mezcal, Devin Adams
• Sipwell Wine Company, Hilary Cocalis

To learn more, please visit accesslive.wswa.org or connect with us across our social platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube or follow us at #AccessLIVE.

MEDIA CONTACT
Michael Bilello
Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications & Marketing
[email protected] | (202) 716-4805

SOURCE Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America