EDINBURGH bartender Sean Cavanagh has triumphed in the UK leg of a cocktail competition for rum brand Flor de Caña.
The Flor de Caña Sustainable Cocktail Challenge tasked competitors to create eco-friendly cocktails that paired the rum with seasonal, local or Fairtrade ingredients or repurposed leftovers. As well as the ingredients and techniques used to create the cocktail, criteria included the inspiration for the recipe, the flavour and the appearance.
Sean, of Panda & Sons, won the UK leg of the contest with his cocktail, Reclaimed Orchard, which combined Flor de Caña with repurposed ‘Flor 4 Falernum’, freeze-concentrated apple cordial and apple water. It was garnished with freeze-dried puffed apple and presented on an edible apple leather coaster.
“Sean blew us away with his creativity and enthusiasm,” said Lucy McQueen, brand ambassador for Flor de Caña at UK distributor Whyte & Mackay.
“We loved how he managed to use the whole apple in different ways, incorporating innovative techniques to pull different flavours out of a single ingredient. He gave us a masterclass in sustainable bartending, and we can’t wait to see how he gets on at the European final later this year.
“We hope his journey will continue to inspire others to adopt meaningful sustainable practices and raise awareness of the importance of reducing food waste – one sustainable cocktail at a time!”
Sean will now proceed to the European final of the competition in Berlin in October, where he will have the chance to win a place in the global final in Nicaragua next year.
In the meantime the Reclaimed Orchard is available at Panda & Sons.
