Rum lovers everywhere, your time has come to help choose the ideal candidates. The Ultimate Awards platform is ready to receive your votes to determine who deserves to take home the title of The Ultimate Rum Bartender 2024 and The Ultimate WLR Rum Brand Ambassador 2024.
Simultaneous, but different
The Ultimate Awards team is working hard to run both competitions simultaneously, which although they share some aspects, are different from each other.
The Ultimate Rum Brand Ambassador 2024 is a competition organized through Women Leading Rum, a platform that celebrates the creativity, vision, leadership and advancement of women in the rum industry. On this occasion and on the occasion of the Women Leading Rum. Europe Conference 2024, its organizers wanted to recognize the work of brand ambassadors who are dedicated to spreading the values and flavors of different rum brands.
10 women are competing for the title: Ana Suárez Castrillón (Ron Barceló), Ashera Goonewardene (Bounty Rum and Rhm Clemént), Magdalena Reske (Colours of Rum), Marie “Zee Bat” (Ron Millonario and Rum Nation), Emily Gosling Bulters (Goslings Rum), Susana Ortega (Brugal Rum), Karen Alvarez Seijas (Flor de Caña Rum), Gosia Kolbowska (SelvaRey Rum), Daniella Sánchez (Dos Maderas Rum) and Adrienne Stoner (Maison Ferrand).
Each of these women has worked hard to raise awareness of their brands by showing exceptional commitment to representing them at events, social media, collaborations with bars and restaurants, and participation in fairs and festivals. Their authenticity and ability to connect with the public earned them a spot in this select group of candidates.
According to the public and the experts
In the case of The Ultimate Rum-Bartender, the competition will be a little different as two prizes will be awarded: one to whoever receives the most votes from the public and another assigned by a jury of specialists from the rum world, who will evaluate the expertise, experience and merits of the selected bartenders.
The jury will be composed of:
-Danilo Oribe: World cocktail champion (IBA, WFA, FBA).
-Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernández: Rum master with more than 50 years of experience.
-Nestor Parra: Venezuelan bartender with extensive experience behind the bar and organizer of the event.
-Federico Hernández: CEO of The Rum Lab and author of “Puerto Rico Rum-Clopedia”.
-Pablo Mosquera: Rum bartender and event organizer.
-José Manuel Antelo: Founder of the Barman Academy.
This group of experts will have the task of evaluating the 25 bartender candidates who were chosen based on their merits and career. They are:
-Karl Candell (El Salvador)
-Jesús Aguirre (Panama)
-Cristian López (Paraguay)
-Óscar Lafuente (Spain)
-Andrés Valencia Ariza (Ecuador)
-José Noya (Bolivia)
-Mauricio Fernández (Chile)
-Martín Tummino (Argentina)
-David “Mashynne” Rivera (Puerto Rico)
-Jeffrey Fares (Honduras)
-Iván Muñoz (Colombia)
-Luis Claudio Simoes (Brazil)
-Antonio Naranjo (Spain)
-Javier Antonio García (Nicaragua)
-Augusto R. Santos (Honduras)
-Felipe Fiel (Ecuador)
-José Ortega (Puerto Rico)
-Marvin Shal (Belize)
-Cheytan Báez (Dominican Republic)
-Abraham Urdaneta Conteras (Aruba)
-Gastón Santandreu (Uruguay)
-Mario Alarcón (Guatemala)
-Jair Rosas (Peru)
-Rihder Fuentes (Cuba)
-Graciliano Pereira (Venezuela)
The Ultimate Rum-Bartender 2024 award will recognize that bar professional with exceptional skills in creating rum cocktails, as well as knowledge and passion for this spirit.
Two weeks to vote
Voting began this Monday, April 8, 2024 and will run until April 20, 2024. To vote, simply log on to TheUltimateAwards.com and follow the instructions.
The winners will be announced on April 22 through the contest’s social networks (@UltimateAwards on Instagram and The Ultimate Awards on Facebook) and the awards will be presented at the Spain Rum & Gin Expo, to be held this April 26 at the MEEU, Estación de Chamartín, located in the city of Madrid, Spain.
Best of luck to all participants!
