CubaPLUS Magazine

Twenty countries confirmed their participation in the second edition of the International Barlady Competition, scheduled for March 7-9 in Havana, according to sources close to the event.

According to information provided to Prensa Latina by the president of the Cuban Bartenders Association, Eddis Naranjo, and Rihder Fuentes, head of the event´s Organizing Committee, Mirtha de las Mercedes González, from the famous Varadero beach resort, will compete for the largest of the Antilles.

Representatives from Brazil, Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela, Greece, Finland, Denmark, Albania, Germany, Ireland, Turkey, Belgium, Poland and Macedonia will compete alongside her at the emblematic Hotel Nacional.

The competition, whose first version took place in Athens in 2024 and whose creator and director is the greek Nafsika Mouzakiti, will consist of five categories: classic cocktail, national cocktail, long drink, Latin style and sparkling cocktail. The winner of each of the tests will advance to the finals and at that stage will face a black box task to define the Barlady of the Year, after the creation of a new cocktail in no more than 30 minutes, Fuentes explained.

He added that the contestants' proposal will come from a basket of drinks (including spirits, liqueurs and syrups) and other ingredients defined by the organizers. On the other hand, Naranjo recalled that her compatriot Kenia Borges was champion in the Greek event in national drink and is now an ambassador for the Barlady, which has the world ace of cocktails Greta Gronhlm, from Finland, as head of competition.

On that occasion, Borges created a cocktail based on the aged Perla del Norte rum of the same name, and we were always hoping that it would be a success, he explained. Inspired by International Women's Day (March 8), this event will have as sponsors the Corporación Cuba Ron S.A. (the platinum or main one), Polot 1882 and Bodegas Torres.

(Taken from Prensa Latina)