Finalists Announced For Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition

The finest bartenders in the cruise industry face off to compete in the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition

Cocktails and cruises go together like, well, cocktails and cruises.

There’s nothing quite like sitting on the top deck with a gentle breeze blowing through your hair and a cocktail (or two) in your hand.

And now, thanks to Bacardi, we’re going to find out which cruise line – and, more importantly, which bartender – makes the finest cocktails at sea.

Since 2016, cruise has been a dedicated sector within the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition, which sets competitors the challenge of making a brand-new Bacardi rum-based cocktail.

From over 1,200 entries, the final five have been announced and between them they represent cruising titans such as Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises Australia and, undoubtedly the wildcard, Tallink Silja Line.

The five finalists now head to Puerto Rico in February 2019 to find out who gets the honour of representing cruise against 41 other finalists in the grand finals, to be held in Amsterdam in May 2019.

“Being part of the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Global Competition, the finalists from cruise and ferry are required to build on their recipe developments skills and now develop their prowess in sales and marketing,” says Zachary Sulkes, International Key Account Manager Cruise, Bacardi Global Travel Retail.

“A fundamentally important phase of the competition is the measurement of how well the bartenders get behind their creation and demonstrate its potential to become established in the drinks industry as a true classic.

“Our five finalists are now busy promoting their recipe direct to guests and sharing it with fellow bartenders in their company so as to get it listed and served across the fleet.”

Want to try out the recipes for yourself? Here’s the five finalists’ cocktails for you to mix at home:

Sanja Cvijetic – Carnival Cruise Line

Cocktail: Purple Sunset

Recipe:

60ml BACARDÍ Superior

22ml Monin Lavender Syrup

15ml lemonade

15ml fresh lime juice

Splash of MARTINI

Rosemary bunch

Narciso ‘Archie’ Mariano Jr – Holland America Line

Cocktail: Velvet Fashionista

Recipe:

30 ml BACARDÍ Ocho Años

15ml Islay whisky

15ml ST. GERMAIN Elderflower Liquor

30ml espresso

15ml agave syrup

orange zest for garnish

Marc MacArthur from Norwegian Cruise Line

Cocktail: Up, up and Away

Recipe:

60 ml BACARDÍ Ocho Años

30 ml espresso

20 ml cinnamon syrup

10 ml Fernet-Branca

orange twist and coffee beans

Siddhant Naik – P&O Cruises Australia

Cocktail: Bitter Blanca

Recipe:

30ml BACARDÍ Superior

15ml ST.GERMAIN Elderflower Liqueur

30 ml egg white

60ml grapefruit juice

Garnish with grapefruit zest and cinnamon powder

Mattias Nilsson – Tallink Silja Line

Cocktail: Bring Back The Summer

Recipe:

40ml BACARDÍ Superior

30ml ST. GERMAIN Elderflower Liqueur

25ml fresh lemon juice

2 fresh strawberries

4 basil leaves

40ml MARTINI Prosecco

Which gets your vote?