By
Rebecca Gibson |
Holland America Line (HAL) employee Gerome Firmalo has been named as the Bacardi Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year 2015.
Firmalo, who works onboard HAL’s Oosterdam, beat four other cruise line finalists to win the accolade with his Passion Blossom 13 cocktail, which comprises equal quantities Bombat Sapphire gin and St-Germain elderflower liqueur and passion-fruit syrup, lemon sour and cranberry juice.
“The Passion Blossom 13 embodies what we look for in a cocktail because it achieves the perfect mix of ingredients, a well-balanced flavour and simplicity that will appeal to cruise vacationers,” said Zachary Sulkes, regional manager of Bacardi Travel Retail Americas. “Each year the standard of entries gets higher and this, in itself, is a great accolade for the cruise industry’s investment in the ever-increasing standards of professional development for their bartending community.”
Firmalo won a US$5,000 cash prize and will be trained by Bacardi over the next year. His Passion Blossom 13 will be offered onboard Oosterdam.
“It’s really amazing to win this competition, because I have been working towards it for such a long time,” said Firmalo. “Winning the Bacardi Cruise Competition gives me great personal pride with the added kudos of such professional recognition. There’s no doubt it will help me develop my bartending career.”
Founded in 2005, the Bacardi Cruise Competition aims to help cruise and ferry lines develop a new generation of professional bartenders. This year the finale was held at the Bacardi office in Coral Gables, Florida, on 20 March after the five finalists participated in three days of events including visits to iconic bars in South Beach to learn from trade professionals and educational workshops hosted by Bacardi.
The other finalists included Kenneth Tuason from HAL’s Maasdam; Richard Anderson who sails onboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Glory; Nilesh Patel who works on Carnival Sensation; and Royal Caribbean International’s Oleksandr Lurchenko.
“Firmalo was a deserved and popular winner and the gathered crowd appeared to agree with the decision of the judges,” said Jon Ingleton, executive editor of International Cruise & Ferry Review, who attended the event. “The event was a relatively low key and intimate affair, but the audience contributed to making it a lively and entertaining evening. Top job by Bacardi for celebrating the role of the professional cocktail bartenders that contribute so much to the evening social scene onboard a ship.”