Bartenders and mixologists the world over vie for the annual top spot in the Angostura® Global Cocktail Challenge (AGCC), now celebrating its tenth year. That winner not only receives US$10,000 but also has the opportunity to work alongside the brand for two years as the Global Brand Ambassador for the House of Angostura®, following in the footsteps of Raymond Leota from New Zealand or Neal Ramdhan and Daniyel Jones of Trinidad and Tobago - the latter now based in Paris. This year, nine finalists, selected from global competitive heats, will participate in the T&T-based final, crafting their favourite Angostura® rum, bitters and Amaro di Angostura® cocktails in just seven minutes - leveraging their knowledge of the award-winning Premium Rum Range and coupling it with their flair and finesse.
The House of Angostura’s® Global Brand Ambassador programme lies within the purview of Raymond Edwards, the former Chief Mixologist and current Chief Brand Educator for the House of Angostura®. Raymond, once a professional footballer before becoming a bartender, strongly believes in the potential of the distillery – the only one of its kind in T&T. The history of Angostura®, with the legacy of the Siegert family, founders and creators of Angostura® aromatic bitters, colliding with that of the influential rum-producing Fernandes family, is an incredible one. What started as a simple medicinal concoction in the town once called Angostura in Venezuela, created by Dr Johann Siegert, has now spawned a global spirits brand. Today, the distillery offers Angostura® orange bitters, Amaro di Angostura® (an Italian liqueur), a rum for every palate and pocket, and Angostura Lemon Lime and Bitters® in the ready-to-drink non-alcoholic segment – all under the House of Angostura®.
Raymond’s role is to have that history, story and impressive product array, play in the minds of customers around the world – through the central role of the House of Angostura® Ambassadors. “Our Global Ambassadors are the eyes and ears of the House of Angostura®. They decode and distil this knowledge of the brand to thinkers and discerning drinkers. Our legacy has been built on Angostura® aromatic bitters, but we also have some of the most awarded and well-respected rums. These rums are part of the central story of our own lives – from celebrations to losses. Rums that range from Legacy – once the world’s most expensive rum, to others in our range that have been a part of our shared experiences as a people,” Raymond points out. “Our rums have been part of the story of Trinidad and Tobago, and it’s something we take pride in,” he adds.
With applications for the AGCC coming from over 74 markets, the appeal of quality rum in the spirits category is undeniable. And with over 25 of the world’s finest bartenders who serve as our Ambassadors telling the story of our islands and sharing our world-class rum, we’re sharing the best of us with the globe, one sip at a time.
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