Parking spaces were filled to the brim as the community flocked to American Memorial Park Grounds to be part of the final night of the 2008 Taste of the Marianas festival.
The enthralled audience held their breaths as the bartenders each took turns in a five-minute flair tending show and cocktail drink preparation. Before the night was over, two bartenders emerged as the winners—Jaymar Torres of the Aqua Resort Club and Monico Usi of the Hawaii Bar for the Battle of the Champions and the novice category.
Ten bartenders competed and showcased their skills and techniques in cocktail drink preparation in the “Malibu Coconut Rum Challenge for the novice category, while three contestants engaged in a fierce competition for the Battle of the Champions category.
The three judges- Island Locator editor Alexi Zotomayor, Pacific Times managing editor Ulysses Sabuco and Ming-li sales manager Ryan Isidro had quite a time tasting the different concoctions produced by the bartenders before finally declaring the winners.
Torres’ version of “Anti-freeze” cocktail drink got the nod of the judges. He also romped off with the Best in Showmanship award for wowing the audience with his flair tending skills. Torres was the first runner up in the 2007 Taste of the Marianas bartending competition. He also won the Bar Wars Bartenders Cocktail competition at the GIG Discotheque 2007.
“I did not stop practicing because I know I am going to join this year’s competition,” Torres said in a telephone interview.
“I practiced to hone my skills and gave my best during the contest,” he added.
Torres competed in the Battle of the Champions against last year’s Taste of the Marianas Bacardi Light Challenge bartender’s competition Lorenzo Divino and Pacific Islands Club champion Raymond Tolentino.
Usi’s version of “La Isla Verde” made him the champion in the novice category. He also won the Best in Taste award.
First runner up was Jaysan Gatdula of Marianas Resort & Spa with his cocktail “Simply Red”, followed by second placer Roland Fernandez of Palms Resort Hotel with his “Erotic Maximizer”, and third placer Michael Faraon Lim of Palms Resort Hotel with his “Malibu Sea Breeze” concoction. Jay Santos of The Flair won the Best in Showmanship Award while the Best in Props award went to Ramil Eustaquio of the Wonderful Bar. Other contestants were Bernard Aquino and Rojinia Banacia of Hyatt Regency Saipan, Joseph Solmarin of the Abyss Bar, and Merv Catienza of The Flair.
The entries were judged based originality, taste, showmanship, neatness and audience impact.
“The show is a success, and we would like to thank everybody for coming, especially the managers of the different establishments who supported their participants, and our sponsors,” Northern Marianas Bartenders Association president Lito Espino said.
This year’s sponsors are Titans Imports Guam USA, the Marianas Visitors Authority, Pacific Telecom Inc., Coca-Cola and Duty Free Shop Galleria.
Guests were treated to a breath-taking exhibition of spinning and juggling bottles by Flair bartenders
Hwang Kyungrok, also known as Champ and Chally No, The Flair’s other bartender. Champ was third in the 2004 Gold Shake Cup and a 2005 Bar Wars pro-round champion. Chally is a 2007 Hollywood 2nd place Bartenders Cocktail Competition in Guam and also 2007 Korea Bartenders Cocktail competition champion.
The bartending competition capped the month-long activities of the 2008 Taste of the Marianas food and beer festival.
