Fort-de-France, Martinique | March 5, 2018 - Rum Clément is getting ready to receive the best bartenders of the world at Habitation Clément in Martinique for the final of its worldwide cocktail competition, the Ti'Punch Cup. For this second edition, the brand pushes borders welcome participants from 14 countries such as Spain, Germany and Vietnam. Rum Clément has always been eager to promote the riches of Martinique through its agricultural rum. The goal of the Ti'Punch Cup is no exception, focusing this time on the iconic cocktail of the island, the Ti'Punch.
In the national finals held in each participating country from June to December 2017, bartenders from all over the world have shown great creativity in bringing their personal "twist" to the highly traditional Ti'Punch recipe. Inspired by the Martinican culture, bringing an artist's look to a classic, breaking the rules of recipes, here are some of the attributes that allowed 15 bartenders to win their tickets to the world finals. They will meet again in Martinique from March 12 to 16, 2018 for an initiatory journey to discover the universe of Rhum Clément and also to determine who of them will be crowned world winner of the 2018 Ti'Punch Cup.
The world finals will be held on March 14th, 2018 at Habitation Clément in front of an international jury from the world of spirits. The candidates will be challenged on three successive rounds (including two secret ingredients) during which different local partners will be asked to interact with them. They will be judged at the same time on their signature cocktail and their knowledge of the agricultural rum, on the use of the wealth of Martinique and the world of Rhum Clément.
The grand winner of the 2018 Ti'Punch Cup will become a new ambassador of the Ti'Punch and the Ti'Punch Cup in the world. He or She will also win a trophy made by one of GAAM's artists (Group of Artisans Martinique Art) following a local competition launched by the brand. Germany, England, Belgium, China, Denmark, United States, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Martinique, Netherlands, Switzerland, Vietnam ... who will win the second edition of the Clement Ti'Punch Cup? See you at Habitation Clément on March 14th!
WORLD FINALISTS
Atelier Classic Bar | Ivan Urech | Thoune, Switzerland
Bar de Vlieg | Vincent Nouws | Amsterdam, Netherlands
Birds & Bees | Bethany Ham | Los Angeles, California
Black Smoke | Donald Simons | Anvers, Belgium
Clover Club | Leanne Fevre | New York, New York
Dr. Stravinsky | Yeray Monforte | Barcelona, Spain
Le Cloud | Yannick Brunot | Fort-de-France, Martinique
Le Monfort | Francois Badel | Rennes, France
Lighthouse | Nguyen Nguyen Canh | Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
MASH | Rasmus Greve Christiansen | Odense, Denmark
My Lounge | Michele Picone | Cesana Brianza, Italy
Spitaki Cocktail Bar | Konstantinos Ristanis | Ioannina, Greece
The Beachcomber | Ashera Goonewardene | London, United Kingdom
The Haploid | Dave (Ching Yin) Lam | Shenzen, China
Tumbar | Florian Springer | Hamburg, Germany
INTERNATIONAL JURY
Catherine GOMBART - Martinique - regional delegate Antilles of UMIH Formation, specialized organization on the Café Hotel Restaurant Tourism sector
Dimitri MALOUTA - Martinique - commercial director of RHUM CLEMENT Martinique
Dirk HANY - Switzerland - 2016 TI'PUNCH CUP World Winner
Jonathan POGASH - USA - founder of the website www.thecocktailguru.com
Paul YELLIN - USA - Chef and owner of RHUM BAR & CARIBBEAN KITCHEN in Charleston, rum ambassador to the United States and author of the recipe book "Infusion! Spirited Cooking »
Simon DIFFORD - England - creator of the cocktail guide DIFFORD'S GUIDE
Sullivan DOH - France - co-founder of the cocktail bars LE SYNDICAT (34th best bar of the world in the ranking World's 50 best bar 2017) and THE COMMON in Paris and the event agency Syndicat Agency
Thanos PRUNARUS - Greece - owner of the BABA AU RUM cocktail bar in Athens (30th best bar of the world in the World's 50 best bar ranking 2017)
TRAVEL PROGRAM
Monday, March 12 - Arrival of candidates
Tuesday, March 13 - Discovery of the Habitation Clément and workshops with local producers
Wednesday, March 14 - 2018 Ti'Punch Cup World Finals at 18th century Habitation Clément
Thursday, March 15 - Tour of the North Atlantic
Friday, March 16th - Discovery of the south of the island and departure
ABOUT MARTINIQUE (us.martinique.org – martiniquepresskit.com)
The French Caribbean Island of Martinique is also known as the Isle of Flowers, The Rum Capital of the World, the Birthplace of coffee in the New World, The Isle of the Famed Poet (Aimé Césaire) – Martinique ranks among the most alluring and enchanting destinations in the world. As an overseas region of France, Martinique boasts modern and reliable infrastructure – roads, water and power utilities, hospitals, and telecommunications, services all on par with any other part of the European Union. At the same time, Martinique’s beautifully unspoiled beaches, volcanic peaks, rainforests, 80+ miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, streams, and other natural wonders are unparalleled in the Caribbean, so visitors here truly get the best of both worlds. The currency is the Euro, the flag and the official language are French, but Martinique’s character, cuisine, musical heritage, art, culture, common language, and identity are of a distinctly Afro-Caribbean inclination known as Creole. It is this special combination of modern world conveniences, pristine nature, and rich heritage that has earned for Martinique several notable distinctions in recent years. In 2018, Martinique is highlighted in the Caribbean segment of the New York Time’s “52 Places to go in 2018.” and prominently featured in a January 2018 article in Travel + Leisure. In a 2017 review of noteworthy French Islands throughout the world ThePointsGuy.com selected Martinique as number one. Other distinctions include being named as a “Must-Visit” destination by Caribbean Journal, “Best Caribbean Destination” by About.com, and “Top Caribbean Island for Delectable Dining” by Caribbean Travel + Life.