Havana Club calls on bartenders to enter international Cocktail Grand Prix

Rum brand Havana Club is calling for bartenders and mixologists around the world to enter its biennial cocktail-creating competition.

The 2018 competition, entitled ‘Cuba Moderna’, challenges entrants to invent a unique cocktail that is easy replicated, while adhering to authentic Cuban ingredients, bartending techniques and culture.

Havana Club, owned by drinks giant Pernod Ricard, will launch the competition on 1 February on its Facebook page, where mixologists will be able to enter into a number of regional heats taking place in 40 countries around the world.

In these heats, bartenders must create a rum-based cocktail which fuses Latin American cocktail styles with the mixologists own local culture.

The winner from each country will fly to Havana from 28th May-2nd June for the finals, where they will be joined by a wild card entrant selected through a competition on the Havana Club Grand Prix Facebook page. Launching on February 1st 2018, the winner will be announced in March.

In Cuba, finalists will be provided with an itinerary of bartending seminars, exploring modern bartending trends and the evolution of classic cocktails, and a visit to the Havana Club distillery in order to prepare for the final, which will take place over two days.

The Cocktail Grand Prix will be judged by a jury the world’s leading rum authorities, headed by Mixellany director and spirits writer Anistatia Miller.

Nick Blacknell, international marketing director of Havana Club, said: “The cultural revolution in Cuba is the most exciting place to be in the world right now – it’s a melting pot of tradition and authenticity with a modern outlook like we have never seen before. With the Havana Club Cocktail Grand Prix, we want to show modern Havana to the world through new, authentic ways to enjoy Cuban rum and inspire others to explore Cuba themselves.

“We look forward to welcoming the next generation of world-class mixologists to Havana, just as we have done for more than 20 years, because there is no better place for them to find the inspiration they need to create the ultimate Cuba Moderna cocktail that truly reflects the important cultural evolution we are witnessing.m

Bartenders can enter from 1 February by contacting their local Pernod Ricard representative, or visiting the Havana Club Facebook page.