Canadian wins El Dorado Rum Heritage Cocktail Competition

Mike Dojcsak, who represents Bar Sazerac in Ontario, Canada, has emerged victorious in the El Dorado Rum Heritage Cocktail Competition, which was conducted at the Demerara Rum Heritage Centre of Demerara Distillers Limited on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Dojcsak demonstrated exceptional creativity and skills.

The competition was a celebration of the art of cocktail creation and the distinctive flavors of El Dorado Rum, drawing top bartenders from around the globe. The initial round of the competition afforded bartenders from the United States, the United Kingdom, Ontario, Canada, and Guyana the chance to document their interpretation and journey through the brand’s heritage, which has been in existence since 1670. Five exceptional finalists from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Guyana convened in Georgetown, Guyana for the Global Finals following the regional trials that were conducted in these countries. Mike Dojcsak (Ontario, Canada), Flavio Francis (Georgetown, Guyana), Jonathan Sierra (Bristol, UK), Jamie Wolfe (California, USA), and Daniel Reiger (New York, USA) are the bartenders in question.

The competitors were evaluated on two cocktail submissions at the Global Finals: the first required them to replicate their cocktail from the regional heats, while the second required them to create a serve using ingredients from the Guyanese market and one of the El Dorado Single Still Rums (El Dorado Single Still Versailles, El Dorado Single Still Port Mourant, and El Dorado Single Still Enmore).

In a fiercely contested competition, Dojcsak’s cocktail creations impressed the judges with a harmonious balance of flavors, an inventive combination of ingredients, and a tribute to both the history of El Dorado Rum and his own cultural origins. Visual appeal, taste/balance of flavor, creativity and originality, brand integration and suitability, and cocktail names were the criteria by which the competitors were evaluated.

Sandrae Lawrence, co-founder of the award-winning publication The Cocktail Lovers, Sly Augustin from Trailer Happiness, and Sharon Sue-Hang Baksh, Master Blender of Demerara Distillers Limited, were the judges and tasters of the Global Finals of the El Dorado Rum Heritage Cocktail Competition.

The El Dorado Rum Heritage Cocktail Competition is a significant milestone for the brand as it continues to commemorate the timeless allure of its world-renowned rums and engage with the global bartending community.