Rum author and connoisseur Ian Williams with Neysha Soodeen. - Contributed

World-renowned 'mixologist' Tony Abou-Ganim, currently featured on the popular 'Iron Chef America' culinary television show, will be the big name at this year's Food and Rum Festival in St. Lucia, scheduled for November 1 to 4. United Kingdom-based Ian Burrell, who recently hosted the first rum festival in London, England, and headlined mixologist at the first St. Lucia Food & Rum festival last year, will also be featured.

Lecture on trends

On Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 4, these international mixologists will give lectures on today's trends in the bar industry and give visitors demonstrations and samples of their creations at the Rum Village in Rodney Bay.

There will be a street party where mixologists will enter friendly competitions at local bars which will be filmed for international television.

Neysha Soodeen, co-producer of the St. Lucia Food & Rum Festival, said that with these major names in the industry, the festival will provide inspiration and knowledge for bartenders, mixologists and people in the rum industry, as well as to laymen who enjoy mixology."