By
Rebecca Gibson |
Six bartenders have reached the final of the 2014 Bacardi Cruise Competition, which will be held in Miami final on 5 September.
This year, entrants were tasked with using Bacardi brands to create ‘The Inspired Cocktail’ that epitomises how travel has inspired them in their craft. Bacardi received cocktail recipes from bartenders and mixologists at 14 cruise and ferry lines, making this competition the largest in its nine-year history.
A panel of Bacardi judges chose five of the finalists’ recipes, while readers of Cruise Critic chose the final contender’s recipe. The judging emphasis focused on innovation, creativity, inspiration and craftsmanship as demonstrated via taste and aroma, creative use of Bacardi ingredients, originality of name, appeal and presentation. Contestants were also asked to share the story behind their cocktail and explain how their travels had inspired them.
“The Bacardi Cruise Competition is ultimately designed to help recognise and appreciate the importance of the craft of the onboard bartender, elevating the standards of cocktail making and guest experience,” said Zachary Sulkes, regional manager, Bacardi Travel Retail Americas. “By inviting the bartenders to tell the story behind their inspiration – which we believe is the essential backdrop to the quality and technical skills of their entry – we’ve been able to whittle down to our finalists.
The finalists include Liisi Kutt who serves onboard Tallink Silja Line’s Victoria I and two bartenders from Norwegian Cruise Lines – Allan Garcia who works onboard Norwegian Sky and Joeped Garrido from Norwegian Getaway. Carnival Cruise Lines will have three bartenders in the final including Brian Bent, who sails onboard Carnival Liberty; Ioana Luncean, who works onboard Carnival Sunshine; and Vera Restarovic, who serves onboard Carnival Conquest and was the winner Cruise Critic’s People’s Choice award.