By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Cruise Line bartender Miroslav Kljajic was named as the winner in the cruise category of the United States Bartenders’ Guild Most Imaginative Bartender competition presented by Bacardi and Bombay Sapphire in Miami, Florida.
Kljajic previously won the 2016 Bacardi Legacy Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year award, and was a semi-finalist in the 2017 competition.
For the United States Bartenders’ Guild Most Imaginative Bartender competition, contestants were required to craft their own recipe for a cocktail featuring Bombay Sapphire gin. Kljajic provided a twist on the multi-course cocktail concept by exploiting all 10 botanicals present in the gin. His cocktail, ‘The Forgotten’, combined Bombay Sapphire, dry cranberry lemonade, lemongrass syrup, smoky black pepper tincture and blue cheese Campari. It was garnished with dried cranberries, zest of lemon with rosemary and rosemary water spray.
“Miroslov has really impressed us over the past two years with his dedication to continued professionalism and the sheer creativity and attention to detail he brings to his craft,” said Zachary Sulkes, international account manager (cruise) at Bacardi Global Travel Retail. “He’s a fantastic ambassador for the onboard cruise bartender community and epitomises the ever-increasing professional standards driven by progressive companies like Carnival Cruise Line.”