Andrej Malic of Celebrity Cruises has been named Diageo Global Travel’s best bartender at the Diageo Reserve World Class final, held on 17 August in the Diageo 396 Bar in Miami.
The judging panel included industry experts Julio Cabrera, Master Mixologist, David Molina, Head Mixologist for Diageo Bar 396 and Marcy Rudershausen, Senior Master of Whisky for Diageo.
Malic, who comes from Bosnia and Herzegovina, saw off competition from thousands of cruise line bartenders from three of the world’s leading cruise lines: Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Celebrity Cruises.
All competing bartenders were judged on craft, showmanship, creativity, bartending knowledge and the overall delivered drinking experience. Malic captivated the judges with his American whiskey signature serve ‘Old Spice Fashion’, featuring Bulleit Bourbon.
Malic will go on to represent Diageo Global Travel at the World Class Bartender of the Year Competition in Miami on 26 to 29 September. There he will battle it out against 59 of the world’s best bartenders for the coveted ‘World Class Bartender of the Year’ title.
Andrej Malic said: “This is without doubt the best moment of my career to date. I’m hugely delighted and grateful to be recognised by Diageo Reserve World Class and to have won the Diageo Global Travel Final.
“I’ve been inspired and challenged by many talented bartenders over the last few weeks and I’m really looking forward to using the skills and knowledge that I’ve developed through the programme to represent Celebrity Cruises and all cruise line bartenders at the grand final of the World Class competition.”
Diageo Director Global Cruise and Airlines Sandra Vaucher commented: “World Class is on a mission to inspire people to drink better, and it’s fantastic that we can offer this experience onboard our partners’ ships.
“This competition allows us to recognise and champion the skills and craftsmanship of our cruise line bartenders and last night was extremely exciting with a very high standard displayed by all the competitors. We want to congratulate all of our finalists and wish Andrej the very best of luck at the World Class Global Final in September.”
Celebrity Cruises Associate Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations Cornelius Gallagher said: “As an exceptional member of our team onboard Celebrity Millennium, Andrej inspires our guests to enjoy a taste of the world’s best drinks. We know these unique drinking experiences really do make our vacationers’ overall luxury experience when they sail with us. We wish him the best of luck in the World Class Final and are confident his craftsmanship and talent will wow the judges once more.”
