Santos Mercedes Enriquez of Celebrity Cruises has been crowned Diageo Global Travel’s best bartender.

Celebrity Cruises’ Enriquez Crowned Best Bartender

Santos Mercedes Enriquez of Celebrity Cruises has been crowned Diageo Global Travel’s best bartender.

Judged by a panel of industry experts including Enrique de Colsa, Master Distiller for Tequila Don Julio; Spike Marchant, World Class Global Brand Ambassador; Erik Lorincz, World Class Bartender of the Year 2010; and Julio Cabrera, Managing Partner of The Regent Cocktail Club Miami, Santos triumphed with his “creative flair and matchless mixology”.

Santos, 38, from Peru, saw off competition from over 5,500 cruise line bartenders from three of the world’s leading cruise lines: Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, in the biggest year in Global Travel yet for WORLD CLASS competition.

He and fellow competitors were put through their paces on different aspects of their craft, showmanship, creativity and bartending knowledge. Santos wowed the judges with his signature serve: ‘Violetta Falernum’.

Celebrity Cruises: Santos’ signature serve: The ‘Violetta Falernum’

Ingredients
1 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz rich sugar syrup
½ oz egg white
1 ½ oz TANQUERAY® No.TEN™ Gin
½ oz velvet falernum
1 bar spoon of crème de Yvette
A dash of Peychaud’s bitter

Recipe
Put all the ingredients into a shaker and give it a dry shake first to emulsify the cocktail, then add the ice and shake it again, double strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish
3 drops of Angostura bitters on top of the drink

(Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises)