South African to compete at Mixologist Finals in Trinidad
Dino Jose Batista is a South African mixologist and he is one of twelve finalists heading to Trinidad for the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge competition.
The mixologist contest will take place on the 7th of February 2016 on what is known as ‘Carnival Sunday’.
Dino Jose Batista will be competing for the grand prize of US$10,000. Along with the fat stash of prize money the winner also walks away with the coveted Angostura Global Brand Ambassador in the 8th edition of the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge title. The prize includes a two year contract as the Angostura Global Brand Ambassador for Angostura Bitters, Angostura Rums and Amaro di Angostura. Trophies will also be awarded for the “Best Rum Cocktail” and the “Best Freestyle Cocktail.”
The twelve finalists were selected from some pretty significant competition. Auditions of two hundred and eighty seven were considered after reviewing as many as nine hundred entries, all from thirty six countries across the world.
Suffice to say that those who are now in the top twelve sport some significant bottle spinning and cocktail mixing skills.
In the final round in Trinidad, each mixologist will have to make two cocktails in as little as seven minutes.
It will have to be a “Freestyle Cocktail” making use of Angostura orange bitters combined with any type of alcohol, and a “Rum Cocktail” made with one or more of Angostura’s International rums and Angostura aromatic bitters.
Drinks personality, author and leading mixologist, Jeff “Beach Bum” Berry, who was named one of the “25 Most Influential Cocktail Personalities of the Past Century” by Imbibe magazine will be on the panel of judges. Also judging is Kathy Kasey, a chef who is listed as one of twenty five “hot new American Chefs” by Food & Wine magazine.
The 12 Mixologist Finalists
- Neal Ramdhan of Trinidad and Tobago
- Cameron Attfield of New Zealand
- James Irvine of Australia
- Daniel Vestman Erikkson of Sweden
- Manachain Monaghan of the UK
- Seo Yong Won of South Korea
- Matheus de Freitas Cunha of Brazil
- Jonathan Strokowski Ross of Canada
- Nikita Khlopyanov of Russia
- Dino Jose Batista of South Africa
- Paul Peterson of St. Maarten and Elizabeth Mickiewicz of the USA
