Flor de Caña Sustainable Cocktail Challenge winner crowned

Andrea Marseglia from Teresa Cocktail Bar, Hawke’s Bay NZ has been crowned ANZ’s most sustainable bartender after taking out the ANZ regional final of Flor de Caña’s Sustainable Cocktail Challenge.

The final was hosted at Door Knock in Sydney earlier this month, with a panel of expert judges including Natalie Ng, Evan Stroeve, and Priscilla Leong tasting sustainable cocktails from all the finalists.

The winning cocktail, L.O.C.A.L stands for Land of Change, Adapt & Learn, which Flor de Caña said celebrates its historic commitment to sustainability and inspires the industry to adapt to new habits.

To create the L.O.C.A.L cocktail, Andrea sourced left-over food products from local charities and his community to upcycle their potential waste for good. With a base of Flor de Caña 12 Year Rum, Andrea adds cocoa husk and Single Vineyard Syrah verjuice made from grapes given to him from a local winemaker, foraged local dandelion and mallow root.

Once made, the cocktail is poured into beeswax cups made by Hohepa, a not-for-profit organisation supporting people with intellectual disabilities through vocational programmes and creative workshops.

Andrea said: “It’s crucial for our community to actively minimise waste and incorporate eco-friendly practices whenever feasible. Flor de Caña’s Sustainable Cocktail Challenge is such a fantastic initiative that spreads the word and encourages others to get creative when it comes to reducing food waste in bars. I am super excited to see another group of sustainably made cocktails in Nicaragua. See you there.”

Andrea will travel to Nicaragua in February to compete in the global final with 30 countries taking part in the global competition this year. The winner will not only be crowned the World’s Most Sustainable Bartender, they will also part of Flor de Caña’s Sustainable Society Exchange Program, offering international guest shifts and masterclasses and pocket $10,000.