Ceylon Arrack, the handcrafted Sri Lankan brand, recently held a cocktail competition with a difference. As well as finding the perfect summer cocktail for the coconut leaf spirit, but with the dual aim of raising funds to help care for an orphaned baby elephant.

Over 500 bartenders competed from throughout the UK, and the eventual winner was Tom Bartram, formerly of Mint Leaf, London, whose creation Ruby Punch (inspired by a recipe from Jerry Thomas himself) has also leant the elephant her new name - Ruby.

Ceylon Arrack has a long history of supporting the Sri Lankan wildlife and a donation to the country's conservation is made from every bottle sold. This particular competition came about following an urgent appeal for aid from Sri Lanka's Department of Wildlife Conservation who had been temporarily housing Ruby, and ultimately generated enough money to provide care for the next five years, after which she will hopefully be ready to go back into the wild.

News item from Imbibe.com, 22-07-2011