Sustainability, in addition to the smooth taste, is the hallmark of the ultra-premium rum Flor de Caña. With ever new campaigns, the Nicaraguan company motivates the creativity of bartenders to focus more strongly on the topic of sustainability in bars as well as restaurants. Last month, more than 40 bars in Germany delighted their guests with zero waste cocktail creations. The exciting German final of the Flor de Caña Sustainable Cocktail Challenge took place this year at our Mackie's Bar in Owen/Teck, where 10 bartenders competed in two challenge rounds for victory.
Flor de Caña Sustainable Cocktail Challenge 2023
The goal was to create a cocktail, which was judged by the categories »use of sustainable ingredients and techniques«, »taste and appearance«, »history and inspiration for the cocktail« and »degree of creativity« were evaluated by a top-class jury of experts. From 40 applications from all over Germany, the 10 best bartenders were selected to present their own sustainable creation last week in Owen/Teck. The jury included renowned industry personalities such as Konstantin Kuld, chef at Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, Johannes Möhring, bartender and owner of Ménage Bar Munich, Julia Rahn, bartender and consultant at Sausalitos Germany, and Antonio Oliveira, Brand Ambassador Lead of Flor de Caña.
The competition consisted of two rounds: in the first round, the bartenders had the opportunity to present their own cocktail plus its story. After this round there was a pre-selection: a total of 5 bartenders had the chance to win the title "Flor de Caña's World's Most Sustainable Bartender". The task was to spontaneously conjure up a sustainable cocktail from a mystery box of cocktail ingredients.
It remained exciting until the very end, but in the end only one person could win the race:
Aaron Sayarjin from Roomers Bar Baden-Baden. He won first place with his cocktail »KiBu«. The lucky winner received a competition trophy made of sustainable materials, a super premium bartender kit, a bottle of Flor de Caña Rum 25 years, a cash prize and the opportunity to represent his country in the regional final during the Bar Convention Berlin in October 2022. There, it will be decided who gets to compete for the title of "Flor de Caña's World's Most Sustainable Bartender" and $10,000 in prize money at the global final of the Sustainable Cocktail Challenge in Nicaragua in 2023.
The Sustainable Cocktail Challenge celebrates Flor de Caña's long-standing commitment to sustainability and its desire to share and promote these values with the global bartending community. The carbon-neutral and Fair Trade-certified spirit is distilled using only renewable energy, and all CO2 emissions are captured and recycled during fermentation. In addition, the company has planted 50,000 trees annually since 2005 to give back to nature.
We wish Aaron all the best in Berlin and keep our fingers crossed for him!
Thanks also to everyone who was there and to our super team! It was a huge pleasure for us!
Thanks to
- Alina Bazen, »Das schwarze Schaf« I Bamberg – cocktail: »Melissa«
- Christian Granert, Maritim Hotel I Dresden – cocktail: »I will Revive«
- Sascha Grundmann, »Yaldy« I Frankfurt am Main – cocktail: »Seedling«
- Kenneth Hartinger, »Stairs Bar« I Berlin – cocktail: »8 grams«
- Salim Jamra, »Tortue Hotel« I Hamburg – cocktail: »Flor de Cereza«
- Arthur Kloß, »R10 Bar« I Leipzig – cocktail: »Le Meadow«
- Damian Müller, »VU Speakeasy« I Hamburg – cocktail: »Cuba Libre 2.0«
- Aaron Sayarjin, »Roomers Bar« I Baden-Baden – cocktail: »KiBu«
- Johanna Schnotale, »Rosebud« I Köln – cocktail: »Evergreen«
- Lotta Jahnke, »Krass Böser Wolf« I Berlin – cocktail: »Red Ron«
KiBu
4cl Flor de Caña Rum Centenario 12 Years
*1cl FdC12, cherry infusion
**3cl homemade cherry syrup
3cl rose hip tea
1.5cl local honey
2.5g citric acid
(3cl buttermilk/ milk wash)
Glass: reused jar
Garnish: remaining dried cherry pulp and rose hips
*macerated with Flor de Caña Rum Centenario 12 Years
**juice & sugar & water
