Paris with Trois Rivières in pictures

Last week, The Spirits Business was invited to Paris with Trois Rivières rhum to judge the semi-final of the brand’s very first Rhumbellion cocktail competition. SB arrived in the French capital on the evening of Sunday 14 February with just enough time for a brisk evening stroll down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe, before catching an early night for the following day’s proceedings.

Monday morning brought with it glorious sunshine and so what better way to prep for a day of drinking rum cocktails than with a walk along the River Seine, breathing in the sights and sounds of Paris.

By mid-morning, it was time to head to Yeeels bar, just a stone’s throw away from the Champs Élysées, which was adorned with Trois Rivières bottles and banners.

Upon arrival, the 21 bartenders were briefed on the day’s agenda before randomly selecting one of five culinary dishes designed by chef Stéphane Pitré, of Restaurant Louis, in Paris. The semi-finalists were then given approximately one hour to create a cocktail to perfectly match their assigned dish, which could have been carpaccio of scallops with kiwi coulis; meringue honey mustard, yellow beetroot and maracuja juice; duck in filo pastry with cinnamon; oyster in tempura, with cucumber coulis and cumin; and foie gras mi-cuit and miso vanilla.

Forming the day’s judging panel were chef Stéphane Pitré, of Restaurant Louis, in Paris; Hannah Van Ongevalle, owner and bartender, The Pharmacy in Belgium; Nicolas De Soto, owner and bartender, Mace, New York; Laurence Marot, journalist at Spirit Hunters, Barmag and L’Express; Alexandre Vingtier, founder and writer of Rumporter; Benoit Tarnowski, international brand manager of Trois Rivières; and Melita Kiely, senior staff writer at The Spirits Business.

Once all necessary preparations had been made and each contestant had submitted their recipe, it was time for the competition to commence. Each entrant had just six minutes to mix their creations while entertaining not only the judges, but the large crowd of spectators that had gathered for the afternoon’s events. Adding a touch of magic and mystery to the competition was Filip Stránsky, of Anonymous Bar, Prague.

Once all 21 semi-finalists had presented their drinks, it was time for the scores to be counted and for the judges to deliberate their decision. Just six bartenders could be put through to the Rhumbellion final, which is scheduled to take place in April in the Caribbean island of Martinique.

After a short deliberation, the judges agreed unanimously on the top six bartenders, and announced to raucous cheers that the following contestants would be heading to Martinique in April: Kelly Ballett, of Lulu White, Paris; Nicola Battafarano, of Ober Mamma, Paris; Thomas Girard, Hexagone, Paris; Cathy Mutis, of Kjub, Luxembourg; Filip Stánský, of Anonymous Bar, Prague; and Ben Tyler, of Little Red Door, Paris.

Once the finalists had been named, it was time for the celebrations to begin. An array of Trois Rivières cocktails flowed throughout the evening as contestants celebrated and congratulated one another on the completion of an undeniably electrifying semi-final.