By Stefanie Collins, editor b&c
The first round of the Bacardi Legacy selection process has been completed with the Bacardi Legacy Australia Top 50 successful bartenders revealed.
After another record year of entries, Bacardi Brand Ambassadors, Loy Catada, Sean Forsyth and Andy Wren, have selected the 50 best Bacardi cocktails that they believe have potential to become the new Legacy champion.
The selections were completed blind, with the judges having no idea which bartender submitted which cocktail. These Top 50 will now compete to represent Australia in 2017’s Bacardi Legacy Global Final in Berlin.
Bacardi Brand Ambassador, Loy Catada, says he was impressed with the enthusiasm to feature Bacardi Ocho, allowed for the first time this year, in the cocktails entered.
“The family reserve provided a new kind of inspiration for this year’s entrants with Bacardi Ocho’s complex flavour profile and unique story adding a new twist to potential Legacy Cocktails,” he says.
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The next stage of the competition rolls out in October, when Bacardi Brand Ambassador, Loy Catada will lead the national tasting tour to evaluate the Top 50 cocktails in person, judging presentation, aroma and taste in situ with the bartenders on their home turf.
The country’s Top Eight or ‘Ocho’ will then be invited to Sydney in early November to participate in a marketing workshop, following which the competitors will present their original Legacy cocktail as well as the Bacardi Daiquiri to a judging panel of industry legends.
The semi-final will be celebrated at a ‘Gran Familia’ intimate event where the Top Three Most Promising will be announced. Mentored by dedicated Brand Ambassadors, these three competitors will partner with Bacardi to market and promote their cocktail with a budget of $1,500 plus complimentary stock of the Bacardi rum featured in their cocktail.
During the promotional period Bacardi will help these aspiring bartenders forge their place in the Australian cocktail industry, through financial, developmental support aligned with Bacardi marketing and experiential initiatives.
Based on the success of their drink and overall campaign, one of the Three Most Promising will be selected as the 2017 Bacardi Legacy Australian Cocktail Competition Winner at the national final held in February 2017.
The journey will culminate in Berlin, Germany where the Australian winner will compete for the ultimate title in the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition.