Jay Cozma of Old Love’s Place, Sydney, has won the Oceania final of the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge. Jay competed against five talented bartenders from across Australia and New Zealand on Sunday night at Tucano’s in Sydney’s Surry Hills.
Jay made two cocktails, first, Las’ Lap was a twist on the unofficial national cocktail of Trinidad & Tobago, The Queen’s Park Swizzle, and was the recipe that gained him a place in the final six. The second, as part of a mystery box challenge, was a twist on the Ramos Gin Fizz featuring Kakadu Plum. Competitors were each given 60 minutes before the competition event started to create a cocktail featuring rums from the Angostura portfolio, and an Australian native ingredient that was chosen for them at random.
Jay, from iconic Sydney cocktail bar Old Love’s Place, wowed the crowd and the judges with his presentation of Las’ Lap. Describing his cocktail as a “rich, vibrant and spice-forward take on the classic Queens Park Swizzle” inspired by the final hour of partying at the end of Carnival, Jay passed out tiny envelopes to the crowd to open as he garnished his serve for the judges. To the delight of everyone in the room, live butterflies burst from the envelopes, fluttering around the room and even alighting on the cocktails themselves.
Jay’s Winning Cocktail Recipe – Las’ Lap
60ml Angostura Reserva
10 Dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Grated Fresh Nutmeg
45ml Trini Tea (Fermented Dasheen and Fevergrass Sorrel)
20ml Lime Juice
Method: Swizzle ingredients with crushed ice, then garnish with a crushed ice cap, fern leaf and a purple and white orchid. Butterflies optional.
Still in shock over his win, Jay says it feels awesome to have taken home the trophy, “This competition was always one I was inspired by in my career as a bartender,” he says. “I’ve actually had the luck of working alongside a couple of the previous AGCC champions in the past. They are people I’ve learnt a great deal from over the years.”
“The energy around the competition for all these years has always been inspiring, so to be a part of it and get to represent Oceania in Trinidad is just an incredible opportunity.”
The judges faced a difficult decision on Sunday night, with the quality of the finalists’ drinks and presentations setting an exceptionally high standard.
According to Head Judge, Loy Catada, Spirit Specialist at Proximo Spirits the level of talent at the competition was absolutely outstanding.
“Seeing our six Oceania finalists go head-to-head under such high pressure was truly inspiring,” he says. “Their enthusiasm for creating their personal interpretations of a Caribbean classic and harnessing the rich, vibrant spirit of the Caribbean shone brightly, making it an incredibly tough decision for us judges. We were floored by their creativity, skill, and passion, which made this competition truly special.”
Jay takes home AU$5,000 and becomes the Oceania Angostura Brand Ambassador, he will also travel to the global final of the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge 2024/25, held in Trinidad & Tobago in May. There he will compete to win the title of Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge Champion, US$10,000 and a two-year contract as Angostura’s Global Brand Ambassador, representing Angostura’s iconic bitters and award-winning rum and amaro portfolio.
Second place went to Andrea Marseglia from Theresa Cocktail Bar in Napier, NZ, with Campbell Nicol, from Rude Boy in Hobart, taking out third. The other three finalists competing were Dewi Barbieri (NZ), Jeremy Nivern (NZ), and Leo Reymond (AUS).
The judging panel for the Oceania final included industry stalwarts Loy Catada, Hayley Morrison, Sam Bygrave, and Dre Walters.
The 2024/25 competition marks the 11th time the AGCC has been run and bartenders from over 60 countries have entered for a chance to compete at the global final. Australia and NZ have won a combined four out of the nine global competitions that featured entrants from Oceania. Past winners are Marco Nunes, Andy Griffiths, Mike Tomasic and Ray Letoa, with 2019 competitor Rohan Massie coming in second.
The House of Angostura Team for Australia is very excited to support Jay in his campaign on the global stage in May, and has no doubt he will do the Oceania region very proud.
For more information about the competition, visit www.AngosturaGlobalCocktailChallenge.com.
