Angostura

ARE YOU ABOVE THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE IN YOUR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE?

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RULES & GUIDELINES

Welcome to the Angostura® Global Cocktail Challenge, the world-wide search for The House of Angostura’s® next Global Ambassador! It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or which bar you work at; what matters is that you have the skills, charm, knowledge and work ethic to excel at representing Angostura® internationally, at some of the cocktail- and drinks-industry’s biggest get-togethers. To qualify, you need to know a lot about cocktails, about Angostura® specifically, and about the whole bitters, rum and amaro categories generally, but equally important qualities are being a good communicator, being able to get along with everyone, and being up-to-date about what’s happening in the worlds of spirits and bartending. If that sounds like you – let’s get started!

What’s at Stake?

The winning bartender receives the coveted title of “Angostura® Global Cocktail Challenge (AGCC) Champion,” but that’s not all — He or she also receives a cash prize of US$10,000 and a two-year contract as the Angostura® Global Brand Ambassador for ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters, ANGOSTURA® orange bitters, Angostura® Rums and Amaro di ANGOSTURA®, and the opportunity to serve as a Judge in the AGCC finals.

Trophies will also be awarded to the Winners of the Best Rum Cocktail and the Best Amaro Cocktail, respectively.

Competition Guidelines: Online Entries

1.  You must sign-up online by completing the entry form

2.  You must submit written recipes for two cocktails


Rum Cocktail

Your Rum Cocktail must be a new cocktail and must contain:

  • At least (30ml) 1oz. of any of the Angostura-brand rums listed below*. No other brand of rum is allowed.
  • A minimum of either five dashes of ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters or a minimum of two dashes of ANGOSTURA® orange bitters, or both, but no other brand of bitters.
  • Your rum cocktail does not have to contain amaro, but if it does, it must be Amaro di ANGOSTURA® and no other amaro.

 

Your Rum Cocktail must have a simple, classic name and be easy to reproduce in any good cocktail bar in the world. This means the ingredients should be globally available and not limited to specific brands or regions.

*RUMS: Angostura 1787®,  Angostura 1919®, Angostura® 7 Year Old, Angostura® 5 Year Old, Angostura® ReservaAngostura® White Oak 

Amaro Cocktail

Your Amaro Cocktail must use Amaro di ANGOSTURA® as a key ingredient. No other brand of amaro is allowed. This cocktail must also contain:

  • A minimum of two dashes of ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters or a minimum of two dashes of ANGOSTURA® orange bitters, or both, and no other brand of bitters.
  • Your amaro cocktail does not have to contain rum, but if it does, it must be Angostura® listed rum*, and no other rum.

Your Amaro Cocktail must have a simple, classic name and be easy to reproduce in any good cocktail bar in the world. This means the ingredients should be globally available and not limited to specific brands or regions.

*RUMS: Angostura 1787®Angostura 1919®, Angostura® 7 Year Old, Angostura® 5 Year OldAngostura® ReservaAngostura® White Oak 

Garnishes & Glassware: Decorations used for your overall presentation must be clearly identified in your recipe as garnishes: e.g. nutmeg or pineapple wedge.

 

3. You must submit your Rum Cocktail as your online video submission.

You must upload a 3-minute video of yourself making a new, creative Rum Cocktail using Angostura® products as stipulated in the Competition Rules*. Professional quality is not essential, but your video must be clear, well-lit and not shaky, and the audio must be clear and audible without any background noise. You must make the cocktail facing the camera, as if you were being interviewed on TV, whilst answering the following two questions:

“Why should people use Angostura® and not another bitters, rum or amaro?”

“Which bars around the world – that YOU have visited – are making the most imaginative cocktails, and why?

 

4. Your Written Entry

You must also submit a Written Entry online. This must be a maximum of 200 words. In the Written Entry you must state your opinion on the future of rum drinks in tiki bars, in general cocktail bars, or in regular bars.

 

5. You must complete the Theatre of Mixing assessment

Visit Theatre of Mixing (TOM) website

Judging Criteria- On Line Entry

We use a 5-Step Rating Scale for scoring the AGCC. This is used both to score your cocktail, and to score you, the bartender. The Rating Scale is as follows:

  • Best in the world – Your cocktail could be from one of the World’s 50 Best Bars; You are good enough to be nominated for a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award.
  • Best in the country – Your cocktail could be from one of the country’s best cocktail bars; You are good enough to be nominated for a national or regional award.
  • Good – Your cocktail could be from one of the city’s best cocktail bars; You are good enough to stand out from the crowd locally.
  • Adequate – Your cocktail could be from an average-standard local cocktail bar; You are OK but not exceptional.
  • Needs work – Below average.

 

Each step has a corresponding amount of points. Judges only have to choose the Step to which an entrant belongs, because the number of points per step are pre-determined.

Click to view Judging Criteria

Click to view Scoring Sheet

How To Prepare

We want you to win! Here’s our advice on how to be your best!

1. Don’t worry about being weak in some areas. Most contests are in fact won by bartenders who do quite well in everything, but stand out in only one or two judging categories AND don’t lose many points to penalties. There’s no point having an amazing-tasting cocktail if you don’t also score highly on (for example) “appearance”. Concentrate on getting to a “good” standard in areas where you are weaker, avoid silly mistakes, and you will have a solid scoring base for showcasing the skills you are very good at.

2. Read all the information. Everything. All the rules. All the judging criteria. All the score sheets. Everything! Complete the Angostura®Theater of Mixing. Read about what kind of person the contest is looking for, and work out how to earn the maximum number of points in each category without losing any points. Research who the judges are and what they like. You wouldn’t believe how many people enter a contest without getting all the information they can first. Remember, judges WANT to give you points – you just have to show them what they need to see, so they can give those points to you!

3. Create unique cocktails. By all means use existing cocktails as a template, but you have to innovate from that template enough so that your cocktails are genuinely something new. Don’t forget to make your cocktails delicious – we’re serious. One of the taste scoring criteria is “Would you order a second one?”, so make sure a judge would answer yes.

4. Practice presenting your cocktail(s) on video. Make sure you look like a great bartender or ambassador– healthy, well-rested, clean hair and clothes, neat and stylish, dressed like a professional, just like behind the bar. Check that you can say and do everything you’ve planned to say and do, in English, without sounding nervous, hurried or uncertain, within the time limit. You should exude calm confidence, without seeming smug, and demonstrate that you are at home making and talking about cocktails, Angostura®, bitters, rum and amaro. Don’t forget to include answers to all the questions you are required to answer. Get friends to give you honest feedback about your first few efforts on video; rehearse it at least 2-3 times.

5. Write and rewrite your Written Submission a couple of times. Don’t go over 200 words, but ensure you state your opinion, support it with facts, and write persuasively. Demonstrate your knowledge of Angostura® specifically, and of bitters, rum and amaro generally, and build on your experience of bartending. Again, get feedback from friends, and check your use of language if English is not your native language.

6. If you’ve succeeded to the Global Final, practise being interviewed by a drinks write/journalist – try to make sure you “score all the points” on the scoring sheet. Video-record yourself and review your performance.

7. We encourage you to spread the word about your cocktails — to make them known by entering them in cocktail competitions and leveraging your presence on digital media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

National/Regional Competition

Congratulations! You’ve been successful in scoring a place at the next level of the AGCC competition.

The highest-scoring online entries in each country will be invited to compete live, either nationally within their country, or regionally, against other countries from the stipulated geographic region.

In this part of the Competition you will be allocated 10 minutes for set-up. Then the timer will be set for 7 minutes and you will be told to begin.

You must make 2 examples each of two cocktails (i.e 4 cocktails in total*), live on stage within 7 minutes, while talking to the judges about what you’re doing at each step, and answering the following two questions:

“What does Angostura® specifically bring to the flavor of this cocktail?” and

“What inspired you to make this cocktail?”

Please follow the link and read the information about the National/Regional Competition carefully. This information is critical if you’ve reached this stage.

Click to view National/ Regional Competition Guidelines

Judging Criteria – Nationals/Regionals

Our scoring system is designed to reward knowledgeable, charming bartenders who embody the qualities of a true Ambassador, while allowing every bartender who enters to showcase their mixology and presentation skills.

Click to view Judging Criteria National/ Regional Guidelines

Competition Rules: Global Finals

At this stage of the Competition the rules and guidelines are the same as for the National and Regional Heats. However, a new element — The Interview — has been introduced for the Global Finals, and will help determine the ultimate Winner.

The Interview

Each finalist will also complete a simulated media interview (worth max. 100 points).

Two (2) structured questions will be forwarded to all Finalists one (1) month before the date of the Global Final.

  • Finalists are to prepare their answers to these questions and be ready to present their answers at the Official interview.
  • Finalists should expect 2 unplanned questions at the Official interview.
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