Perpetuating the mojito legacy
Bronx Liquid Parlour founder Hideyuki Saito concocts the winning drink in the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition
Hideyuki SAito from Bronx Liquid Parlour has plenty to celebrate this week having just been crowned the winner of the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition 2017 Thailand Grand Final. He also has plenty of work ahead of him, as he will be representing Thailand in the global round taking place in Berlin in May.
The fourth edition of the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition 2017 saw four bartenders from Bangkok’s leading cocktail bars shaking and stirring their hearts out last week to win the title. After a few eliminatory rounds, the final four were Nont Ketumarn from Morimoto, Dedsakda Thienthong from Vesper, and Saito and Krit Prakobdee from Bronx Liquid Parlour.
The final competition required each of them to come up with one signature drink that uses Bacardi rum as the base spirit. Avant-garde bartending techniques, out-of-this-world ingredients or super fancy presentation were not what the judges were looking for this time. Instead, they were on a hunt for the “new mojito”, a drink both simple and easy to understand, basically a crowd pleaser that would stand the test of time and stay on for years to come, communicating the brand’s “legacy” to cocktail enthusiasts.
“It has always been Bacardi’s aim to elevate the standard in the cocktail scene,” Suraglin Limparatkanjana, brand manager of Bacardi (Thailand) told XP.
“We really hope to see Thai bartenders competing at the international level, giving consumers the best cocktail drinking experiences and hence raising the standard of the scene as a whole. This year, which marks Thailand’s fourth consecutive participation in the competition, we received great feedback from bars, restaurants and hotels that wished to be part of this prestigious accolade. Bacardi is still determined to find the ‘legendary’ cocktail to stand side by side with Bacardi’s timeless classics such as the daiquiri, Cuba libre and mojito.”
The Chareonkrung Room at OP Place Shopping Centre on Charoen Krung Road was transformed into a cocktail parlour, serving classic Bacardi drinks to guests and becoming a stage for the contestants to shine. Of all the four entries, Saito’s El Blanca using such simple ingredients as extra virgin olive, white rum, egg white, lime and syrup won over the judges and the bartender walked away with the title.
“I am very proud to win this award. This was my second participation in the competition.” Saito said after the presentation. “Throughout the competition, I had to practice and develop my skills as well as learn new techniques. I also had to learn about marketing to know how to promote the special recipe cocktail at my bar and other bars. I received a lot of advice, which I have used to improve and develop myself. I would like to express my appreciation to Bacardi for arranging a contest that encourages us and elevates the Thai bartending field to international level.
“Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to all who encouraged and motivated me. I promise that I will be well prepared to represent Thailand to show off our country’s potential in Berlin, Germany. Please root for me!”
The judging panel was made up of Dickie Cullimore, Bacardi global brand ambassador and Richard Neil Irwin, brand ambassador for Asia, Middle East as well as former contestants Boudy Ghostine, bar and beverage consultant and Bacardi Legacy Global 2013 first runner up and Tommy Suwan, Bar Manager at Cielo Sky Bar and winner of Bacardi Legacy Thailand 2013.
“I would like to congratulate Hideyuki for his El Blanca cocktail,” Suraglon said, “He has our full backing as he heads to Berlin and will be also be travelling and working the important persons in the field along with presenting the cocktail in the world’s leading bars.
It was back in 1862 that Don Facundo Bacardi Masso, a resident of in Santiago de Cuba, created a light-bodied rum with particularly smooth taste, which went on to revolutionise the spirits industry. The unique taste of Bacardi rum inspired cocktail pioneers to invent some of the world’s most famous recipes. Bacardi is so far the world’s most awarded rum, with more than 600 awards for quality, taste and innovation.
GET READY TO SHAKE
- Selection for next year’s competition starts in August.
- More about Bacardi at www.Facebook.com/ BacardiThailandOfficial.
