The 2018 Bacardi Legacy competition is well on its way this year. In fact, the Singapore finals are right around the corner.
Sadly, we don’t have the privilege of trying out all the creations this year, but we’ve managed to sneak a taste of one of them, at least.
Helena
As with last year’s competition, the task given to the participants is to create a drink that can stand the test of time and leave…a legacy. The drink has to be relatively simple to replicate, yet be complex enough to be interesting.
Those are no mean feats.
All three finalists – Sim Sze Wei from Atlas, Martin Villareal from Chihuly Lounge and Benedict Poh from Employees Only, are veterans of the industry. While Poh and Sim have already been to multiple competitions, such as the World Class, Martin Villareal is a fresh face.
Martin is the resident bartender at Ritz Carlton’s Chihuly Lounge. While hotel bars have not always seen representation in competitions, they seem to be particularly blessed at Bacardi Legacy; previous Singapore winners Bannie Kang and Davide Boncimino were from Anti:Dote and The Other Room, respectively.
We tried Martin’s cocktail, the Helena($18++), which was named after his mother. He was inspired “the strength and resilience of the Bacardi family”, and that brought to mind his mother’s own optimism during difficult times of illness. “I wanted to create a drink that will inspire people. Through Helena, I hope to honour my mom’s legacy by sharing her personal story of light and hope,” said Martin.
The base of the cocktail was the Bacardi 8, among the finest that the Cuban rum house has to offer. The addition of Lillet Blanc is interesting- the light aromatised wine is customarily used in airy, gin based drinks. Honey ginger cinnamon syrup and lemon juice add citrus and spice, and the Peychaud’s bitters gives the drink a spicy, herbal aroma to balance the drink.
Our thoughts? The Helena is lively; full of spicy fragrance and robust flavours that keep the palate satisfied. We quite liked the drink’s rich character and delicious blend of sweet, sour, and spicy. There is one flaw though; we found it a tinge too sweet.
This is not a drink that goes gently into the good night. We can see a certain poetry to it.
If you’d like to try the drink for yourself, you can head down to Chihuly Lounge. For reservations, you can email rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com.
