Three of Diageo Global Travel’s best bartenders will compete for the title of Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year.
Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Razvan Dorel Cordea (from Romania); Seabourn Cruise Lines’ River Wood (from South Africa); and Celebrity Cruises’ Igor Ilioski (from Macedonia) won the Global Travel semi-finals of the competition on 28 June.
The semi-finalists participated in two challenges which aimed to showcase their “craft, creativity, knowledge, technique, presentation and the overall delivered drinking experience”, according to Diageo.
The ‘Market Basket Challenge’ gave them the chance to create two of their own cocktails using fresh ingredients they bought during a 45-minute visit to a local farmers’ market. The ‘Cocktail Against the Clock’ challenge tested their speed and skill in making between four and six cocktails of their own choosing in a five-minute period.
The judging panel was made up of a team of industry experts. It featured Diageo World Class US Bartender of the Year 2016 Andrew Meltzer; Ben Potts, who was ranked as one of Top 10 bartenders in Miami by Miami New Times; and Eric Ribeiro, beverage consultant at Parisian Shaker.
“It was an absolute pleasure to watch the bartenders in action and see them create some truly special drinks in the challenges that faced them,” said Meltzer. “The level of skill and expertise delivered under real pressure from all finalists was outstanding. It’s a testimony to the quality of today’s cruise lines that they have such commitment to excellence from all facets of their business.”
Diageo Global Travel Commercial Director Marcos Bibas commented: “We are delighted to support a programme which educates and inspires bartenders to deliver outstanding drinks experiences. We believe this is particularly important for cruise line bartenders on board our partners’ ships who consistently deliver exceptional drinks experiences for their guests.
“The Diageo World Class competition showcases a remarkable standard of craftsmanship and creativity, which we have seen demonstrated at this semi-final.”
The Diageo World Class global final will take place in Berlin between 5 and 8 October. Some 50 bartenders will compete.
Last year’s winner Kaitlyn Stewart has travelled the world judging competitions, created and shared new serves, and helped educate and inspire the next generation of bartenders, Diageo said.
