ZiNG Caribbean – May-June 2019

May - June 2019 | http://www.liat.com ZiNG CARIBBEAN | 27

“DuringthesummitIhad

boothinthevillageshowcasing

Trinidad’sartisans,”Ginarecalls.

“Iwasvisitedbytwosmartly

dressedmenwithAmericanflags

ontheirlapels–thepresident’s

personalvalets.Iaskedifthey

couldgiveboxesofmychocolate

toPresidentObamaandHillary

Clinton.Theysaid‘absolutely’–

andIwasoverthemoon!”

GinatookAdvanced

ChocolatierTraininginBelgium,

andhascreated 50 different

typesofflavouredchocolates

andtenbars,withmoretocome.

Shelikestoinjectfunandwhimsy

intoherchocolates:“Iuseunusual

flavourcombinations,including

pistachioandcardamomformy

TajTruffles,andcappuccinoand

passionfruitforbonbonsandbars.”

GI

CH

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GINASCHOCOLATES

TryTrinidadiantreatsthatarefitforpresidents

EATTHIS...

So exquisite are each of Gina

Hardy’s sculpted and colour-

frosted chocolates that it seems

almost a crime to take a bite.

The Trinidadian-Singaporean

law graduate left an impressive

career in fi nance and banking

in London to return to Trinidad

and embark on her chocolate

odyssey – and she’s now

garnered a reputation for

chocolate truffl es and bean-to-

bar chocolate bars, which use

local fi ne-fl avour, single-origin

Trinitario cacao beans.

Gina’s chocolates have been

enjoyed by some very important

palates, including heads of state

and foreign ministers at the

2009 Commonwealth Summit

in Trinidad – and even US

President Obama.

Left: Gina’s

chocolate

bars use local

fi ne-fl avour,

single-origin

Trinitario cacao

beans

Below: Fun

and innovative

fl avour

combinations

include

cappuccino and

passionfruit

Anyonewhothinksabarjobis

mundaneshouldspendsome

timewithLuisEPagánLopez.

“It’salchemy,”saysmulti-award-

winningLuis.“Beingbehindabar

meansbeingabletocreateand

mixanythingIcanimagine.”

Luisfirststeppedbehindabar

asacollegejob.“Istartedselling

beer,simpledrinkslikerumand

coke,andsomeScrewdrivers

nowandthen,”saidLuis.“Ithen

worked at Macaroni Grill where

I was trained in the art of service.

I studied massage therapy and

worked in that industry for

many years, but one day a close

friend invited me to a cocktail

competition – the Diageo World

Class Bartender. The industry

had changed – it was more like a

culinary art – and I was amazed

with the level of skill, attention to

detail, techniques and creativity.

I got bitten by the cocktail bug,

DRINKWITH...

LIME

FABULOUS

FOOD

INSTAGRAM: @BARLAB787

started working some shifts,

and then went full-time, going

to every class, seminar and

competition I could fi nd.”

In 2017 Luis won the Bombay

Sapphire Most Imaginative

Bartender in Puerto Rico prize;

in 2018 he was named the World

Class Bartender in Puerto Rico,

travelling to Germany to compete

for the island. Cheers Luis!

The Puerto Rican bartender mixing up a storm

Luis E Pagán Lopez

TROPICAL

LADY

Try Luis’s version of the
Perfect Lady cocktail

,

aka the Tropical Lady:

blend vodka, fresh

basil leaves, fermented

pineapple syrup, fl ower

liqueur, aquafaba

and bitters