Cleophas won the 2017 Bacardi Legacy Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year this February
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Wade Cleophas, winner of the 2017 Bacardi Legacy Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year, reached the semi-finals of the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Cleophas beat more than 2,500 entrants from 13 different cruise lines to win the cruise competition in Miami, US in February 2017. His winning ‘Legend Reviver’ cocktail is created with Bacardi Ocho (8) Anos, star anise-infused sweet vermouth, caramel/cinnamon syrup with drops of whisky barrel-aged bitters and a mist of Absinthe. The cocktail also features a garnish evoking the sails of a merchant ship and the wings of the Bacardi bat.
At the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition in Berlin, Germany this May, Cleophas had to re-create two servings of the same cocktail in seven minutes on a stage watched by a crowd, TV cameras and five judges. He then had to give a private presentation to a separate panel of four judges, where he also outlined his promotional campaign to add his cocktail to menus across Norwegian’s cruise ship fleet.
Wade secured a place as one of 38 semi-finalists.
“Wade can be so proud of his achievement in the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition, demonstrating that the ever-rising standards being achieved in cruise bar-tending can compete with the very best bartenders in the world,” said Zachary Sulkes, international key account manager (Cruise) of Bacardi Global Travel Retail. “He not only created a perfectly executed and original cocktail but his presentation also blended the story of his personal journey with a powerfully resonant link to the legend of Don Facundo Bacardi.”
Karl Muhlberger, vice president of food and beverage for Norwegian Cruise Line, said: “Wade is diligent and passionate and has consistently shown great dedication not only to the Legacy competitions but also to the quality of bar experience he delivers for vacationers onboard Norwegian Cruise Line every day.”
The eventual winner of the 2017 Bacardi Legacy Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year was Belgian barman Ran Van Ongevalle with his cocktail Clarita.