Plantation Rum Cup set for 2022

The bar team competition will kick off in July after organisers were forced to cancel last year’s event over COVID-19 concerns. 

The Plantation Rum Cup is open to all professionals in the hospitality industry – from bartenders to chefs, bar backs and hosts – and any bar team that features a Plantation Rum cocktail in their venue for at least five weeks. 

To take part, teams must have two or three members with at least one bartender and a teammate from another area of their venue. In 2021, the Plantation Rum Cup made it to the stage of announcing competitors, before COVID and associated restrictions put an end to the contest.

In a statement, the organisers said: “The guest experience in a bar goes beyond the cocktails consumed. It extends to the welcoming of guests by hosts, service offered by waitstaff, food cooked by the kitchen team; a team effort that contributes to making a great bar.”

Teams will be judged on the cocktail’s taste and appearance, its presentation and exposure on social media. Teams will also be marked on the cocktail’s sales and visibility within the venue. 

Online registration closes on June 30 before teams serve their cocktails to judges through July to August 8. The finalists will win a team trip to Sydney for the grand final on September 5. 

The winning team will walk away with the Plantation Rum Cup trophy and a trip to Barbados to visit the West Indies Rum Distillery in Bridgetown. 

For terms and conditions and registration, visit the Plantation Rum Cup website.