Stoli cocktails awaken the taste buds
Published:Sunday | May 26, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:The sweltering heat in Montego Bay last Saturday was no match for the cool Stolichnaya Vodka (Stoli) cocktails. Master bartenders from across the region satiated the palate with superb flavours from their home countries.
Equipped with winning combinations, representing Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, St Maarten and the British Virgin Islands, converged on the elegant Half Moon Royal Pavilion in Rose Hall.
"There could hardly have been a more stunning setting to see the combination of Stoli, the embodiment of premium Russian vodka with the exotic tastes of the Caribbean such as ginger, cilantro, and Scotch bonnet peppers," noted Select Brands' Dominic Beckford.
Some of the Stoli flavours available for the competition were chocolate raspberry, citrus, vanilla, Gala apple and blueberry.
With so many flavours to choose from, the master bartenders all came with one thing in mind, to win.
They took with them masterful originality, incredible taste and eye-catching presentation. But at the end of two and a half hours, one man stood tallest, separating himself from the pack, taking home the grand prize of a trip for two to Las Vegas plus US$1,000 - Lachlan Morris of the Cayman Islands.
The last of the seven competitors to showcase his prowess behind the counter, Morris' Jamaican Apple Martini and Pineapple and Coriander Martini, blew the judges away.
Each participant also received a bottle of ultra-premium Stoli Elit.
The signature Stoli event was organised by Select Brands and Stansfeld Scott (agents for Stoli in the Caribbean), and was the first of its kind held in the region.