Nevis bartenders take top three awards
BASSETERRE St. Kitts – DESPITE the inclement weather, a large crowd turned out Friday (July 29) at the Circus in Basseterre to see who would win the annual Angostura Mixmaster Competition.
Six bartenders from various hotels in the Federation competed for the title, but it was Kendie Browne of the Four Seasons Resort who won the judges’ nod to be named the 2011 Angostura Mixmaster.
The bartenders competed in two categories – Rum Cocktail and Freestyle - and Browne won the title with a mixed drink she called Mango Fusion for the former and another called Citrus Delight for the latter.
Even though he had points deducted for going over the time limit, independent bartender Kremour ‘Moy’ Maloney still emerged the second place winner for his mixture called Angostura Fusion as his Rum Cocktail and Jumbie Fever for his Freestyle.
Placing third was Steve Hobson, who represented Oualie Beach, with his Angostura Splash Martini for the first category and a drink he called Surf Side for the second.
All three bartenders hailed from Nevis.
The other contestants were Desmond Hazel who represented The Beach House and Gizelle Samuel and Nicola Michael who both represented the Marriott Hotel.
The bartenders were allocated seven minutes in which they had to prepare two cocktails from two categories for a total of four drinks.
The winner received a cash prize of US$1 000 and an all-expenses paid trip to Jamaica to participate in the Angostura Regional Finals later this year.
Browne told SKNVibes that she was excited to enter the competition but was also a little nervous as this was her first time and she has only been bartending for a little over six months.
She went on to say, “I practiced and practiced, and I said to myself, ‘I have to go and make a place for Four Seasons because they have been very good to me’.”
She said that Bumbie, a mixologist from the US, worked very hard with her. He showed her many different tricks used in bartending and she wanted to make him proud, which she felt she did.
In the Rum Cocktail category, the competitors had to use Angostura rum(s) as the base spirit for their drink, and they had to create and use any combination of ingredients desired for the Freestyle, but the only rum allowed was Angostura.
Both categories were judged on Appearance, Aroma, Taste and Presentation.
The competition was organised by Angostura Limited Trinidad and Tobago, and C&C Trading Limited.
The winner of the Angostura Regional Finals will participate in the Angostura Global Finals scheduled Trinidad.
The Angostura Global Cocktail Champion, in addition to other prizes, will be offered a one-year contract to be the Global Brand Ambassador for Angostura Aromatic Bitters.
