Maurizio Cattelan Launches Sgrappa, a Grappa with a Middle Finger Bottle

Maurizio Cattelan, the Italian artist known for his provocative works, has launched a new grappa called Sgrappa. Produced artisanally in Piedmont from steam-distilled grape pomace in copper batch stills, the spirit is described as having a fruit and white flower accent and is designed to be mixed into cocktails. The bottle, shaped like a flask, features the iconic middle finger from Cattelan's sculpture L.O.V.E., installed in Piazza Affari in Milan. Cattelan collaborated with Paolo Dalla Mora, marketing director of Moschino and spirits entrepreneur, and Charley Vezza, Global Creative Orchestrator of design brand Gufram. The project is a tribute to Cattelan's father, who made grappa at home. The website sgrappa.com offers recipes for drinks like Sgrappa Sour, Sgrappa Tonic, Fuck on the Beach, Fuck you, and Fuck you too. Cattelan, born in Padua in 1960, is also known for his 2019 work Comedian (a banana duct-taped to a wall) sold for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami and now in the Guggenheim collection, and the golden toilet America stolen from Blenheim Art Foundation. A 2021 exhibition at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing curated by Francesco Bonami was announced.