Three bartenders have been selected to go through to the last stage of the UK finals of the Bacardí Legacy competition seeking a new cocktail that will stand the test of time.
Pictured (left to right), they are Iain Griffiths from Dandelyan at the Mondrian Hotel in London, Oliver Pluck from The East Village in Leeds, and Santiago Michelis from Happiness Forgets in London. See below for their cocktails.
They will each receive a budget for a promotional campaign to generate support for their Bacardí cocktail over the next four months. The most successful will be chosen in March to represent the UK in the global final of the Bacardí Legacy Cocktail Competition in San Francisco in April.
They won their places as the three “most promising” at the national event last night at Location House in London. They faced competition from five other bartenders who had won regional heats around the country.
The other five winners from the regional heats were Madeline Martin from Flipside Cocktail Club in Bristol, Andrew Dickey from The Merchant Hotel in Belfast, Ryan Snedden from Tonic in Edinburgh, Robb Collins from London Cocktail Club Goodge Street, and Peter Nguyen from China Tang at The Dorchester hotel in London.
Compered by Bacardí UK brand ambassador Metinee Kongsrivilai, the judging featured a panel made up of global rum ambassador Ian Burrell, bartender Chris Moore of The Savoy’s Beaufort Bar, Bacardí Brown-Forman Brands’ head of UK trade advocacy Marc Plumridge, and Bacardí global ambassador Dickie Cullimore.
Metinee said: “Huge congratulations to all the bartenders who competed in the UK final of Bacardí Legacy. The standard was once again incredibly high. However there can only be three most promising and Iain, Oli and Santi not only showed off their mixing skills, but the stories behind their cocktails also showcased great imagination.
“It’s going to be great to see the guys show their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit as they get the marketing campaigns for their Legacy cocktails under way in the next few months.
“The fight for that prestigious position as the UK’s representative in the global final is truly on, so from everyone at Bacardí, we wish our ‘three most promising’ all the best of luck!”
Now in its sixth year, the Bacardí Legacy Cocktail Competition has established itself as one of the most rigorous and admired bartender competitions in the world. The competition celebrates the creativity within today’s bar scene and aims to find a Bacardí cocktail which can stand the test of time alongside classics such as the Daiquiri and the Mojito.
Amistat by Oliver Pluck
37.5ml Bacardí Carta Oro
12.5ml Woodford Reserve whiskey
12.5ml Amontillado sherry
10ml Coffee liqueur (blend of Mr Black and Kahlúa)
3 dashes Spiced chocolate bitters
Stir ingredients with ice. Serve on the rocks and garnish with an orange twist.
The Knot by Santiago Michelis
45ml Bacardí Carta Blanca
25ml Fresh mandarin juice
5ml Lemon juice
15ml Honey syrup (1:1)
12.5ml Martini Bitter aperitivo
1 dash Angostura bitters
Shake all ingredients with ice. Serve straight up with a floating mandarin slice garnish.
Carta Switchel by Iain Griffiths
60ml Bacardí Carta Oro
20ml Grapefruit juice
5ml Apple vinegar
5ml Sugar syrup
3ml dash Angostura bitters
Build in a highball. Swizzle with crushed Ice and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
