Saint Lucia cocktail competition heads to NY

The third instalment of the Spirit of Saint Lucia cocktail competition will take place at the New York Rum Festival on 8 June.

After two successful competitions in Miami and Chicago earlier this year, the event’s third instalment will take place in New York.

Bartenders are invited to participate in the competition, hosted by Bounty and Reàl in ‘a harmonious fusion of Caribbean heritage and modern mixology’.

The winner will receive US$1,500 (€1,390/£1,200) and a trip to the island of Saint Lucia; second place will be awarded US$500 (€460/£367), and third place will receive US$225 (€210/£180).

The New York winner will join the ranks of the winning bartenders Elizabeth Diaz from Miami and Mike Finn from Chicago.

The event is sponsored by Reàl Ingredients, a manufacturer of cocktail syrups and Saint Lucia-based Bounty Rum, which must be incorporated into the cocktail.

Participants are expected to exhibit creativity by crafting a unique cocktail that draws on Saint Lucia’s ‘diverse culture and natural beauty’.

Registration is open to all bartenders from 1-31 May via the Bounty Rum website, which also provides full rules for the competition.

The eight finalists will be announced on social media on 2 June and invited to compete live at the New York Rum Festival on 8 June, from 11.45am to 2pm.

Earlier this year, Bounty Rum partnered with Mangrove Global to launch a domino tournament in the UK.