Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition invites new entries
Rum brand Bacardi is inviting bartenders to enter its seventh annual Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition (BLCC).
The contest, which began accepting entries from 1 July, aims to allow some of the world's most talented bartenders to compete in creating the most timeless cocktail. The deadline for entries is 6 September.
To enter the competition, bartenders must email their cocktail recipe and its inspiration to mbacardilegacy@bacardi.com. Further information can be found at www.bacardilegacy.com.
At a regional level, 10 entries will be chosen from across the UK to compete at the regional heats, which will take place in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Belfast and Bristol. Three winners from London and one from each region will compete in a series of challenges in front of 200 industry professionals at the national finals on 2 November.
Here the three most promising bartenders will win a trip to the Bacardi distillery in Puerto Rico and the family archive in Miami, before embarking on a campaign to promote their BLCC cocktail between November 2015 and March 2016.
The national winner will be announced at a dinner on 15 March in the company of the bartenders' friends and family, along with industry influencers. The final test will be at the BLCC global final, which is set to take place in San Francisco in April 2016.
The overall winner will be gifted a money-can't-buy trip around the world, catered to their needs.
For the first time, the competition will also be running seminars for bartenders who may be considering entering the BLCC. Held by former UK national winner Chris Moore from the Beaufort Bar at the Savoy, the sessions will take place in various cities across the UK and will include advice on how to design and properly present a BLCC-standard cocktail.
There will also be a further workshop for finalists held in London by last year's national winner, Ally Martin of the Peg & Patriot bar. As well as giving bartenders the chance to hone their skills, the session will also include advice on self-promotion and how to generate support in the BLCC.
Metinee Kongsrivilai, Bacardi brand ambassador, said: "No doubt this year we'll see some more exceptional talent emerge. Over the last seven years, Legacy has become one of the most anticipated and respected cocktail competitions in the world, with bartenders from 34 countries taking part in 2014."