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By Johnson Adebowale
The mixology competition organised by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, for its Irish Mixology Club, tagged ‘Naija Irish Mix,’ to celebrate the rich Irish culture and heritage to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day, has seen Olanrewaju Babatunde as the winner at the grand finale held in Lagos recently.
The finale, which had the finalists mix their signature cocktail for the grand prize of a trip to Ireland, began with an online entry.
Five outstanding mixologists were selected from the entries, and their creative mixes were vetted by the distinguished panel of judges, which included Hady Harmanani, lifestyle enthusiast, Antonia Soares and founder, Circa Lagos, Owolabi Akanimodo. They were given the responsibility of selecting the winner based on the authenticity, technique, taste (mouthfeel) and overall presentation of their cocktails.
The winner of the competition, Babatunde, was awarded an all-expense-paid trip to Ireland. Prince Victor emerged the first runner-up, and went home with a weekend stay at the prestigious Eko Hotel, while the second runner-up was Yetunde Abass, who also got a prize. All the finalists went home with exciting gift boxes.
Speaking at the event, the manager, West Africa, Bord Bia, Ese Okpomo, congratulated the winning mixologists and highlighted that the event was organised by the Irish Food Board as a way of commemorating St. Patrick’s Day and celebrating the rich Irish culture and heritage.
“Throughout March, Bord Bia will leverage the global celebrations around St. Patrick’s Day to launch a programme of targeted trade engagements and promotional campaigns across 18 countries. From Shanghai to New York to Lagos, through its network of international offices, we will bring a taste of Ireland to the world. The Irish Mixologist Club is designed to celebrate mixologists and their unique talent.
“This is the first Irish Mixologist Club contest to be held in Nigeria. The aim of this event is to showcase the versatility of Irish spirits while driving an affinity for Irish spirits in the on-trade, making Irish brands the spirit of choice for both mixologists and consumers,” Okpomo said.
Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, is the government agency responsible for the promotion of Ireland’s food, drink, and horticulture industry, bringing Ireland’s outstanding products to the world, thus enabling the growth and sustainability of producers.
