Deirdre – ‘Bitter’ cocktail winner!

Deirdre Byrne of the Exchange Bar in Dublin was the winner of the Irish heat of the global Angostura Aromatic Bitters Cocktail Challenge, held recently in Koh Bar and Restaurant on Millennium Walkway where participants competed to represent Ireland in taking on the best in Europe at the forthcoming European final in Vilnius.

Her two cocktails – ‘Bits ‘n’ Berries’ and ‘Ginger Snap’ – just beat the Exchequer Bar’s Darren Geraghty into second place while third went to Gillian Boyle from the Mint Bar in Dublin’s Westin Hotel.

The participants had to make two quality cocktails within seven minutes. The first was free-style, with contestants free to use their imagination and Angostura Aromatic bitters. The second was a rum-based cocktail using Angostura 5 Year-Old and the Aromatic Bitters. The judges comprised BAI Secretary Declan Byrne, Rafael Agatipo of Hogans (last year’s competition winner), Karim Mehdi of Saba and Alison Gibb of Angostura Europe.

The great boom in the Irish cocktails scene is in large part down to this group of dedicated professionals, commented Paul Maguire, Chief Executive of Angostura Bitter distributor here Premier Beverage Brands.

The Angostura Ireland Facebook site has all the cocktails presented at the competition.