The competition, which is now in its eighth edition and this year took in the efforts of 10,000 bartenders worldwide, aims to find a cocktail that might one day become a modern classic.
The global final was contested by bartenders from 36 markets this year over three days in San Francisco; the field whittled to eight bartenders after the first two days of competition.
Chan’s cocktail was a mix of Bacardi Carta Blanca, coconut liqueur, pineapple juice, cucumber juice, lime juice and a dash of sesame oil.
It was inspired by the Pina Colada but also the Taiwanese New Yorker’s early struggles as a bartender and how, drawing comparison with the Bacardi family, “he never gave up” on his ambitions.
In the runner up places was Moe Aljaff of Norway with his drink Carousel and Lizaveta Molyavka with her drink Anything Else.
Speaking on stage at the grand final at Bentley Reserve in San Francisco, Chan said: “This has been ten months of work but it has all been worth it. I just can’t believe it – thank you to everyone. This is just the beginning.”
The final round judging panel comprised American industry legends Dale De Groff and Julie Reiner, 2015 Legacy winner Franck Dedieu and maestro de ron Bacardi Jose Sanchez Gavito.
De Groff said: “It was a 100% unanimous decision. All the drinks in the final were wonderful but some were more wonderful than the others. They all presented their drinks really creatively too.”
Reiner told DI: ”The top three had great performances. What pushed Chia-An Chan forward was his drink. It was close but the numbers fell where they fell.”
Judges scored the competition on the bartender’s presentation performance, the taste and aroma of the drink, its name, inspiration, originality and perceived longevity and replicability worldwide.
A separate panel of judges also took into account contestants’ marketing campaigns, which saw promotion through social media, videos, media coverage and menu listings.
Bacardi will work with Chan over the next year to promote the winning drink in bars worldwide.
