In the much anticipated final of Flor de Caña’s Sustainable Cocktail Challenge, Jack Ng from Argo at Four Seasons Hotel was crowned as champion after competing with eight bartenders to create Hong Kong’s most spectacular sustainable cocktail.
The competition took place on 16 August 2022 at the prestigious Thirsty Shaker in Hong Kong. The judging panel was composed of renowned industry personalities such as Tatum Ancheta from Time Out Hong Kong, Angelica Klein from Food Made Good and Independent Spirits Consultant Eddie Nara. The cocktails were evaluated based on elements such as: history and inspiration behind the cocktail, the use of sustainable ingredient/ techniques and the level of creativity, in addition to its flavour and appearance.
Jack Ng took the top spot with his cocktail Urban Manhattan, made with Flor de Caña 12 Year Rum, infused banana vermouth, rosso vermouth and Cacao aged bitter.
In addition to receiving the title of ‘Flor de Caña’s Most Sustainable Bartender of Hong Kong’, Jack received a competition trophy made from sustainable materials, a super-premium bartender kit, a personalized bottle of Flor de Caña 25 Year Rum, a cash prize and the opportunity to participate in the Regional Final in Thailand in October, with all expenses covered.
Furthermore, the winner of the Regional Final will then be able to compete in the Global Final of the Sustainable Cocktail Challenge in Nicaragua in 2023 for the title of ‘Flor de Caña’s World’s Most Sustainable Bartender’ and a US$10,000 prize.
‘Flor de Caña’s Sustainable Cocktail Challenge is the first competition I have participated. The recognition means a lot to me and it is one of the greatest achievements in my career. I want to give a big thank you to my teammate and management at the hotel,’ said Jack Ng from Argo at Four Seasons Hotel.
He continued, ‘I have gained many sustainable inspirations from Flor de Caña. The cocktail I created, Urban Manhattan, is learned from the brand itself and focuses on recycling waste and preserving green space. I can’t wait to share my cocktail and sustainable stories with the bartending community during the Asia pacific Final in Thailand.’
Quentin Luk from Kuromaru took the competition’s second spot and Philip Wong from Gishiki Lounge the third spot, receiving cash prizes and personalized Flor de Caña bottles.
The Sustainable Cocktail Challenge is a celebration of Flor de Caña’s historic commitment to sustainability and its way of sharing and promoting these values with the global bartending community. In addition to being the world’s only Carbon Neutral & Fair Trade certified spirit, its rum is distilled using 100% renewable energy, all CO2 emissions during fermentation are captured and recycled and the brand plants 50,000 trees annually since 2005.