Robbe Dupon wins cointreau margarita challenge 2025 with sustainable cocktail in Angers

The city of Angers, France, hosted the final round of the Cointreau Margarita Challenge 2025 last week, bringing together bartenders from around the world in a competition focused on sustainability and creativity. The event, now in its fifth edition, challenged participants to create an original Margarita using every part of a fruit, from pulp to peel and leaves, under the theme “From Fruit to Leaf.” This approach aimed to highlight sustainable practices in mixology and encourage zero-waste philosophies.

Robbe Dupon, a Belgian bartender representing Cocktails and Talks and the regional winner for France & Benelux, was named the winner of this year’s competition. His cocktail, “Oranger Unique,” impressed the jury with its balance, inventive use of ingredients, and commitment to minimizing waste. Dupon’s recipe showcased how bartenders can use all parts of an ingredient to create a sophisticated drink while reducing environmental impact.

This year’s challenge saw more than 2,300 bartenders from 90 countries submit their creations, confirming the Cointreau Margarita Challenge as one of the most influential cocktail competitions worldwide. After several regional rounds, 12 finalists were selected to travel to Angers for a three-day final. During this time, they faced tests that evaluated not only their technical skills but also their storytelling abilities, creativity, and dedication to sustainable practices.

Among the standout finalists were Winnie Wei from China with her cocktail “The Corn Trio,” which explored layers of flavor and sustainability using corn in multiple forms. Vince Sidari from Australia was recognized for his drink “The Circle of Lemon,” which highlighted citrus flavors and circular use of ingredients. Luisa García from Bad Company in Madrid received special recognition as “Rookie of the Year 2025,” an award given to the best emerging talent with less than two years of experience in bartending.

The jury for this year’s competition included respected figures from the global bar scene. Maria Kontorravdis, a London-based bartender known for her creative approach; Giovanni Allario, Bar Director at Moebius in Milan; and Jienming “Ming” Liao, General Manager at Hope & Sesame in China and last year’s Margarita Challenge champion, formed the panel. They judged each entry based on taste, technique, presentation, narrative, and sustainability.

Beyond individual awards, all 12 finalists have joined the Cointreau Collective. This global community offers members opportunities to participate in brand experiences, guest shifts at bars around the world, industry fairs, masterclasses, and creative collaborations. Clément Gallet, Executive Director of Cointreau, emphasized that the competition is about more than just naming winners—it is about welcoming new members into a growing family dedicated to innovation and responsible practices in mixology.

The final event took place at various venues across Angers from June 19 to June 21. The city is home to Cointreau’s historic distillery and has become a symbolic location for this international gathering of bartending talent. The competition continues to set new standards for creativity and environmental responsibility in the world of cocktails.