Daniel Stępień from The Ritz and Giulia Cuccurullo from Artesian beat six other bartenders in the first round of the inaugural Brugal 1888 ‘Nearly Neat’ cocktail competition which took place at The Parrot in London.
The Nearly Neat competition launched last month and challenged bartenders from across the UK to create serves using 'minimal ingredients to enrich the delicious warmth of Brugal 1888’.
Stępień’s cocktail, Don Dominican combined Brugal 1888 with sherry, vanilla syrup and absinthe. While, Cuccurullo’s cocktail named Hermana used Brugal 1888 with crème de peche and sherry.
The competition was judged by industry experts Pavol Kazimir, Pepijn Van Den Abeele, Alex Kratena and Monica Berg.
Kazimir, Brugal 1888 global brand ambassador, said: “It was very tough deciding who the finalists from the UK would be but we were so impressed by the serves created by both Daniel and Giulia.
“Their passion and flair on the day embodied the spirit of the Brugal 1888 – encapsulating everything that the competition is about."
The Nearly Neat competition was unveiled this year as the first event of Brugal 1888’s new ‘Sipping Society’. The society is an advocacy programme that aims to empower industry experts with access to events such as rum masterclasses and VIP experiences.
Daniel and Giulia will now join eight other global competitors in the Caribbean, home to the Brugal brand, to participate in the final serve challenge that will see one bartender crowned Brugal 1888’s ‘Sipping Society Maestro’, with the winning cocktail becoming the Brugal 1888 signature serve.
Stępień added: “It has been amazing to be a part of this competition, everyone – from hosts to competitors – were remarkable, so I am really proud to be representing the UK in the Dominican Republic.”
