Denis Santos
For all we know, food and drinks have a special connection that had been an established culinary practice since the beginning of time. The practice has been very popular that this eating etiquette was even brought to the Philippines.
Food and wine became an instant perfect pair that gave way for more innovations in costumer’s dining experiences. Experiences that involved guaranteed satisfaction to ‘full-bodied’ spirits through cocktail and food pairings.
Don Papa Rum Wants Us To Learn
Don Papa Rum, a premium aged small batch rum from Negros Occidental, Philippines, introduced a unique ‘serve’ inspired by the Aperitivo culture in cocktail and food pairing. Breaking from the household rule, top food and drink establishments have adopted the Italian concept of aperitivo by pairing rum-based cocktails with scrumptious meals.
To give us a 101
The rum giant invited the winners of Don Papa Cocktail Competition in Netherlands to teach us the basics of food and cocktail pairings. The duo who have won several awards already, chef Marcus Shockley and bartender Andrei Talapanescu, prepared a great set of cocktail drinks and dishes that exuded the characteristics of the perfect marriage of food and rum-based drinks.
The international chef, Marcus, is currently refining his cuisine at The Duchess restaurant in the W Hotel, Amsterdam. Previously, he has worked in some of the best restaurants in the USA and even trained bartending at Stonehill Tavern in California.
On the other hand, the award-winning bartender, Andrei, is the head bartender at the Pulitzer’s Bar, the flagship of the five-star Pulitzer Hotel in Amsterdam. Would you believe that before delving into bartending, he was a former water polo player?
The flavor experts will showcase their winning dish and cocktail pair at a series of Don Papa events in Manila as part of their campaign with the Don Papa Cocktail Competition. Because of Don Papa’s groundbreaking inventions, more rum aficionados will surely have their eyes set on these genius pairings. They will have a chance to break out of their usual food and drink combination, and discover better and newer flavors.
For more information, check their website, www.donpaparum.com, or like them on Facebook at Don Papa Rum. You can also reach them through Twitter and Instagram,
