 |  |
Gerome Firmalo: His creation beat stiff competition from other cruise industry bar staff | |
Holland America’s Gerome Firmalo has won the Bacardi Cruise Competition Bartender of the Year award for 2015, for his original cocktail Passion Blossom 13. His creation triumphed over 2,500 others from the cruise industry’s leading mixologists and bartenders in this year’s competition.
The finale was held at the Bacardi office in Coral Gables, Florida, on 20 March, with the shortlisted finalists judged by a panel comprising: Trevor Alberts – Edition Hotel Bartender and a finalist in the United States Bacardi Legacy Finals in February; Chris Gray Faust – Destinations Editor, Cruise Critic; and Hillary Choo and Ben Carlotto- professional mixologists from TEAM Enterprises.
Winning the Bacardi Cruise Competition represents a big achievement for a cruise ship bartender. The prize is US$5,000 in cash and the opportunity to have the winning product – in this case a blend of Bombay Sapphire gin, St. German liqueur, passion fruit syrup, lemon sour and cranberry juice – featured onboard the MS Oosterdam.
Firmalo, a bartender on the MS Oosterdam, out of Rotterdam, will receive further professional training and development opportunities at Bacardi in the year ahead, said the brand owner.
“The Passion Blossom 13 embodies what we look for in a cocktail,” said Regional Manager Bacardi Travel Retail Americas Zachary Sulkes. “It achieves the perfect mix of ingredients, a well-balanced flavour and simplicity that will appeal to cruise vacationers. This was a close battle, and Gerome is a worthy winner. Each year the standard of entries gets higher and this, in itself, is a great accolade for the cruise industry’s investment in the ever-increasing standards of professional development for their bartending community.
“Cruise is an important strategic channel for Bacardi Global Travel Retail and this competition helps drive category growth for our cruise and ferry line partners. It’s a fantastic showcase for our brands, especially given the increasing numbers of consumer groups from emerging markets who are new to cruise.”
The Bacardi Cruise Competition was founded in 2005 to help cruise and ferry lines develop a new generation of professional bartenders.
Firmalo said: “It’s really amazing to win this competition, because I have been working towards it for such a long time. This week, being with the Bacardi team and competitors in South Florida, has been phenomenal and it has been a privilege to compete. Winning the Bacardi Cruise Competition gives me great personal pride with the added kudos of such professional recognition. There’s no doubt it will help me develop my bartending career.”
The finalists participated in a three-day schedule of events, mixing with leading bartenders and visiting iconic bars in South Beach to learn from watching on-trade professionals. Bacardi hosted the finalists in educational workshops tailored to hone their skills, before they presented their original cocktail creation to judges in the finale.
Commenting on the winning cocktail, mixologist Ben Carlotto said: “The quality of drinks was excellent, and we are very happy to name Gerome Firmalo’s Passion Blossom 13 as the winner. This is a contemporary and unique interpretation of a classic martini with just the right balance of botanicals and florals, it has a very light and refreshing appeal, that would be perfect to enjoy on a cruise vacation. Gerome has created a drink that uses a simple method, allowing you to taste the original ingredients, and one that could be made anywhere in the world. For me, that’s a great cocktail.”
The Bacardi Cruise Competition is supported by leading consumer publications for the cruise sector including Porthole Cruise Magazine and Cruise Critic, Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), Marine Hotel Association (MHA) and MTN Satellite Communications.
The other finalists were: Kenneth Tuason from Holland America’s Maasdam, Richard Anderson from Carnival Glory, Nilesh Patel from Carnival Sensation and Royal Caribbean’s Oleksandr Lurchenko.
