MIAMI, Florida, June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
World's best cruise line bartenders from Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises fight for a place in the DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS™ Global Grand Final
As one of the world's most prestigious cocktail competitions draws closer, four cruise line bartenders who have been victorious over 5,500 other floating mixologists are busy perfecting their cocktail mastery in the hope of securing a coveted place in the grand final.
The final four will go head to head at the DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS™ Global Travel semi-final event, in the deluxe Diageo Bar 396 in Miami, Florida on 12th June. The cruise line winner will then go forward to compete at the star-studded DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year global final in London, competing against the best bartenders from around the globe.
The four, who will face-off at the glitzy global travel semi-final in Miami on 12th June, are:
Princess Cruises: Carlos F Lintag Jr, 42, from The Philippines is Bar supervisor on the Pacific Princess. Carlos' favourite drink is TANQUERAY® No.TEN™ Gin and it features in his signature serve, the 'ABCD: Amazing Bartender Cocktail Drink.'
Norwegian Cruise Line: O'Neil Anant James Pandit, 33, from India is Assistant Beverage Manager on the Norwegian Getaway. O'Neil has been selected as a semi-finalist for the second year in a row and will conjure up the 'Botanical Wave,' featuring TANQUERAY No.TEN Gin, as his signature cocktail.
Royal Caribbean International: Shekhar Grover, 27, from India is Lead Bartender on board the Oasis of the Seas. His inspiration to become a mixologist stems from a fascination with the mystery of how a carefully created concoction can transport consumers to a state of bliss. His signature serve is the 'French Royale,' featuring CÎROC® Vodka.
Celebrity Cruises: Agus Gandu Adyana, 27, from Bali is a Flaring Bartender aboard the Celebrity Century. He was inspired to get into mixology by his father, and mentor, and his signature creation is the 'Don Spicy Mangorita,' made with DON JULIO® Tequila.
Each has proved themselves the best in the cruise line bartender business, winning a series of heats during completion of the DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS training program. This is the biggest year yet for the global travel leg of the competition, with 15 times the number of bartenders taking part (5,500) from four cruise lines than in 2013 when 400 took part from two cruise lines.
Mario Seijo, World Class Global Winner for Latin America & Caribbean 2013, led the training program this year coaching onboard bartenders in showmanship and the latest cocktail-making trends such as 'Mediterranean Mastery,' a theme inspired by the botanicals and culinary influences of the Mediterranean, and an exploration of 'Gin and the Secrets of Distillation' and the impact these have on resulting cocktail creations.
He said: "The Diageo World Class programme has provided cruise line bartenders with advanced mixology training in the most cutting-edge cocktail trends. It takes their craft to the next level, unlocking amazing onboard fine-drinking experiences for passengers. Now, in order to impress the judges, these semi-finalists will need to put everything they learned and the flair they have developed, into creating show-stopping high-end cocktails, using some of the world's leading portfolio of fine spirits - the Diageo Reserve Brands portfolio. I remember my WORLD CLASS experience well and I wish the four competitors the best of luck in reaching the final".
Mario will be joined by two other celebrities in the world of mixology, Enrique De Colsa, Master Distiller at Don Julio Tequila and Arturo Savage, one of Diageo's Senior Reserve Ambassadors, to make up the panel of industry-leading judges who will put the semi-finalists through their paces.
If one of the cruise line bartenders is successful at the Global Final, becoming the Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year, it will set them on a life changing journey. Previous winners of Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year have become recognized industry names, travelling the globe as WORLD CLASS Ambassadors, participating in international high-profile events such as Petra Ecclestone's lavish wedding and consulting on the James Bond film, Skyfall.
Notes to editors
Follow the competition on Facebook at the 'Global WORLD CLASS Finals' page: http://www.facebook.com/WorldClass
ABOUT DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS
Throughout the program, WORLD CLASS bartenders are trained using the collection of fine spirits from the Diageo Reserve luxury portfolio - JOHNNIE WALKER® BLUE LABEL™ Blended Scotch Whisky, JOHNNIE WALKER® PLATINUM LABEL™ Blended Scotch Whisky, JOHNNIE WALKER® GOLD LABEL RESERVE™ Blended Scotch Whisky, The SINGLETON™ Single Malt Scotch Whisky, CÎROC® Vodka, KETEL ONE® Vodka, TANQUERAY® No.TEN™ Gin, DON JULIO® Tequila, ZACAPA® Rum, BULLEIT™ Bourbon, and TALISKER™ Single Malt Scotch Whisky. All words and associated logos are trade marks.
DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS is transforming fine drinking experiences and cocktail culture around the world and in the home. One of the industry's largest, most credible investments in the luxury on trade, it discovers the next generation of bartending talent who set the latest mixology trends and bring these to the best bars worldwide. At the core is an outstanding, global training program and internationally recognized platform that elevates the craft of the bartender and builds careers in the industry culminating in an annual luxury landmark week where the DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year is announced. Launched in 2009, over 15,000 bartenders have been inspired and educated in the craft of mixology using the finest spirits in the DIAGEO RESERE collection. A partnership and collaboration with gurus, media, partners and owners, DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS is widely recognized as a mark of sophistication and distinction of international fine drinking culture by bartenders and customers alike.
As an extension of the DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS training program, in 2011 Diageo launched the Diageo Bar Academy in Asia Pacific, the region's largest bartending course accredited by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), which has trained 27,000 bartenders to date.
ABOUT DIAGEO
Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Windsor, Buchanan's and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
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