The New England Rum & Tequila Festival kicked off with a Gosling’s Rum Cocktail Challenge at Twin River Casino’s Lighthouse Bar on May 2. Hosted by Goslings Rum Owner Malcolm Gosling, the competition involved fifteen teams of two bartenders each, from both Rhode Island and Connecticut. In the first round, bartending teams created original cocktails using at least one expression of Goslings Rum, including Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, Gosling’s Gold Seal Rum, Gosling’s Black Seal 151 Rum or Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum. In round two, contestants created cocktails using Gosling’s Rum and one mystery ingredient, announced the day of the competition. The competition culminated in a bonus “Walk the Plank” challenge round, which showcased bartending skills while blindfolded. The team of Leishla Maldonado, Bartender at The Eddy and at Durk’s Bar-B-Q and Parker Luthman, Bartender at The Eddy took the grand prize, a VIP trip to Bermuda and signed bottles of Goslings Rum. The team of Kayleigh Speck, Bar Manager at The East End and Sarah Gwizdowski, Bartender at Hot Club came in at second place. The The New England Rum & Tequila Festival Grand Tasting story and gallery will appear in the July Issue of The Rhode Island Beverage Journal.
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- Bartenders used Gosling’s Black Seal 151 Proof Rum and Gosling’s Gold Seal Rum during the Goslings Rum Cocktail Challenge. A family business for over 200 years, Goslings is the only company that blends and bottles in Bermuda today, and is the largest exporter of a Bermuda-made product.
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- Actor Rome Kirby portraying first generation Ambrose Gosling with seventh generation, Malcolm Gosling, President & CEO, Goslings International, both special guests for the event.
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- Competition emcee Frank Martucci, Director of Beverage & Nightlife, Twin River Management Group, Inc. (TRMG).
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- Malcolm Gosling, President & CEO, Goslings International and Mia Mastroianni, Expert Mixologist from Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue.”
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- Competition judges Mia Mastroianni, Expert Mixologist from Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue;” Joe Pereira, Bar Manager, Herbs & Rye; and Christine England, Rum/Tiki Expert.
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- A set of cocktails ready for the judges.
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- Winning team Parker Luthman and Leishla Maldonado in action during the competition.
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- A winning cocktail by Leishla Maldonado and Parker Luthman. A “reinvented Dark & Stormy” called Braving the Storm mixed Gosling’s Rum, ginger syrup made from reduced Gosling’s Ginger Beer, salted walnut, banana liqueur, lime juice and a dash of Angostura bitters.
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- Maldonado and Lutham start the blindfold round.
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- Malcolm Gosling, President & CEO, Goslings International, celebrates with winners Parker Luthman and Leishla Maldonado.
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- Second place team Sarah Gwizdowski and Kayleigh Speck.
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- A Twin River Casino team of Beverage Manager Andreas Sialatis and Bartender Eva Rocha placed third.
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- Teammates Simion Rusu, Bartender and Christina Mercado, Beverage Director, both of Newport’s Grace Vanderbilt won competition’s Dark ‘N’ Stormy Speed Round for Red Sox tickets at Fenway.
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- Phoenix Fu, Johnson & Wales Student; Linda Pettine, Associate Professor, College of Culinary Arts, Providence Campus, Johnson & Wales University and Caitlyn E. Vittucci, Johnson & Wales Student.
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- Competitors don the blindfolds.
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- Joe Pereira, Bar Manager, Herbs & Rye; Frank Martucci, Director of Beverage & Nightlife, Twin River Management Group Inc.; Bruce Livingston, Sin; and Anthony Guaetta, Bartender, Twin River Casino.
Photos by Laura Widness.
