French cognac house Rémy Martin has awarded John Ardy Silva and Duane Legaspi from Ruby Wong’s Godown as its first-ever bartender duo champion in the recent Philippine Barrel-Aged Cocktail Competition Finals held at The Ministry at Shangri-La, The Fort.
The bartenders showcased Remy Martin’s 1738 Accord Royal through their unique blend called “Avant-Garde” which uses the aforementioned cognac, vermouth, and umeshu, with an added punch of olive cordial.
The winning duo will receive the honor and privilege of being sent to one of Asia’s Best Bar to do a guest residency shift, where they will be mixing up their signature cocktails for guests in that market.
The challenge for the Barrel-Aged Cocktail Competition finalists was to age the 1738 Accord Royal in a barrel and conceptualize a cocktail highlighting the distinct fruity flavor and oaky smoothness of the 1738 Accord Royal. They were asked to showcase their creativity with the goal of further promoting Rémy Martin’s efforts to ‘Team Up for Excellence.’
The cocktails were judged by a selected panel – Arkadiusz Rybak, a multi-awarded, Bar and Beverage Consultant and Founder of Good Vibes Only consultancy; Cyrene De La Rosa, independent food & drink journalist, and content creator and good food and drinks advocate; and Edgardo Guzman, Country Chief Representative at Rémy Cointreau Philippines with eight years of Premium Wines & Spirits experience.
Remy Martin ambassador Kathrin Osmillo also shared, “Each of the 12 finalists deserved their spot at the top and their expertise is unquestionable. In the end what we looked at primarily was the creativity and balance of the cocktail and how they highlighted or maximized the use of the key element, which is the barrel-aged cognac, and the harmony of the drink and music chosen for the presentation.”
Since its founding in 1724, Rémy Martin has championed innovation through a legacy that is rooted in its history whilst constantly evolving with the taste of today’s connoisseurs.
This is reflected particularly in the Barrel-Ageing competitions the brand has been hosting across Asia, starting with China in 2020 and most recently, Singapore in 2022.
Barrel ageing involves using wood and time to change the flavor of the barrel contents through maturation. Alongside the types of casks and duration of ageing, the size of the barrel affects the taste profile of the end product as well.
“As a brand that champions innovation, we are pleased to offer a platform for the participants to showcase both their mixology skills and creativity with the 1738 Accord Royal,” said Myke Soon, Country Brand Lead at Rémy Cointreau International.
