Licor 43 crowns 2022 competition winner

Spanish liqueur Licor 43 has named Colombia-based Yeferson Avila as the winner of this year’s Bartenders and Baristas Challenge.

The Zamora Company-owned brand held the sixth iteration of its Bartenders and Baristas Challenge in Gran Canaria, Spain, last week. It was hosted in a live format for the first time in three years due to the pandemic.

The competition invited bartenders and baristas from around the world to creatively pair Licor 43 and coffee.

Bartenders from nine markets took part in this year’s challenge: the UK, Estonia, Mexico, Spain, Germany, the US, Australia, Brazil and Colombia.

Avila, from Cardinal bar and Mar y Zielo restaurant in Colombia, was crowned winner with his cocktail, Armonía.

The serve combined: 23ml Licor 43, 7ml Amaro Montenegro, 30ml espresso, 40ml pineapple extract and two grams of toasted coconut.

“It felt so very good to be back to our in person final – and after months of live regional finals around the world, too,” said Zamora Company’s global marketing and innovation director for spirits, Julian Fernandez.

“Gran Canaria is home to the plantation we source coffee from for our Licor 43 Baristo expression, so it’s a natural home for us.

“This trip is always educational as well, and we make sure everyone is totally immersed in the world of Licor 43 and coffee so we can spark their coffee cocktail creativity. Enormous congratulations to Yeferson Avila – a thoroughly deserved winner.”

The runners up were Cristian Ponce from Mexico with his Alquimista 43 cocktail, and Estonia’s Raimond Ummus with Ruibarbo 43.

For winning the contest, Avila received funding to put towards professional equipment and career development courses. He will also join the competition’s judging panel next year.

The 2022 judging panel was led by international barista champion Merijn Gijsbers, who has worked with the competition since 2019.

He was joined by American bartender Lynnette Marrero, founder of the world’s first all-female speed bartending competition, Speed Rack, and Thalita Freire, the competition’s 2021 champion from Brazil.

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Author: Nicola Carruthers