The House of Angostura is putting out a call for the very best bartenders in Australia and New Zealand to enter the ANZ regional final of the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge (AGCC).
This is the tenth edition of the AGCC and historically bartenders from the Australian/NZ region have been the ones to watch, having taken out the top prize four times with Marco Nunes, Andy Griffiths, Mike Tomasic and Ray Letoa in year’s past.
The top six entrants from ANZ will be flown to Sydney for Bar week to compete in the AGCC regional finals; they will each receive one ticket to Most Influential event and one seat at the Bar Awards. The winner of the ANZ regional final will receive a 12 month contract as the ANZ Angostura Brand Ambassador as well as AUD $10,000.
The regional winner will also be flown to Trinidad on an all expenses paid trip during Carnival in February 2020 to compete against some of the world’s best bartenders in the global finals.
Prospective entrants will need to submit two cocktails as well as a video, a written entry and complete the House of Angostura’s Theatre of Mixing exam.
“If you’re serious about wanting to be in the comp, enter now,” says current Australian Angostura Brand Ambassador Dan Gregory (pictured top left with Ray Letoa). “Don’t leave it to the last minute as you won’t have enough time.
“The thing to remember is that the drinks you submit at entry are the ones you present in the regional final and the global final, so work hard on the entry at the start and it takes the pressure off for the rest of the comp. You then just have to focus on perfecting the drinks and your chat.”
Ray Letoa, NZ and global winner, adds: “We have some of the most talented bartenders in the world in this region. We’ve held the global title four out of nine times, so we are definitely the ones to look out for at global.
“Being the global ambassador has been the gig of a lifetime. I’ve travelled the world, met some amazing people, made life-long friends and it’s certainly raised my profile on the circuit.”
Entries opened on 17 June and will close on Sunday 18 August. The top six chosen to compete at the regional finals will be announced on 26 August, and the ANZ regional final will be held on 16 September. Bartenders can take up the challenge by entering here.
