The brand usually encourages bartenders and baristas to team up for the mixology competition in various qualifying events held around the world.
The best duos then head to the grand final to battle it out for glory. Last year saw Australian duo Millie Tang of The Gresham and barista Jessie Williamson from Blackout Paddington (both pictured) emerge triumphant at the final showdown in Gran Canaria.
This year, brand owner Zamora Company has had to take the event online due to travel restrictions and social distancing requirements.
“We want to show our support for, and solidarity with, bartenders and baristas during the Covid-19 pandemic, and running our 2020 edition online means we can still continue to educate about, and instill passion for, Licor 43 as the reference liqueur of choice in coffee cocktails,” said Julian Fernandez, Zamora Company’s Global Marketing & Innovation Director of Spirits. “The only difference really is that because of social distancing we are not asking competitors to team up - rather, bartenders and baristas will enter on their own.”
The bestselling Spanish liqueur is renowned for pairing well with coffee. The 2020 competition will once again consist of finding the best new Licor 43 Coffee Cocktail recipe.
Entrants will be invited to submit films of them making their creations to the national rounds, with local judging teams selecting between six and 10 finalists.
One national winner from each country will qualify for the global final. The finalists will be tasked with revising their recipes so they can be evaluated by the global judging panel composed of cocktail gurus Simon Difford and Merijn Gijsbers, and coffee consultant and educator Timon Kaufmann.
The global finalists’ final films will be shown on Facebook Premier, with an additional winner voted by the public on October 23.
“Coffee has always been in Licor 43’s roots, going right back to the Café Asiatico in Cartagena and Café Barraquito in Tenerife in the 1950s,” said Fernandez. “In the last 20 years, following the success of Carajillo 43 in Mexico, we have seen an increase in popularity of Licor 43 and coffee drinks all around the world.
“There is a natural marriage of aromas and flavours between the two and in the last three years we’ve run this competition it’s been clear how much of an inspiration this is to entrants. Just as we are amazed at their creativity, we are using our own agility and technical know-how to help them bring their skills and specialisms onto the stage in these strange times.”
