[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The awards ceremony of the China final for Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition was held recently at Juyongguan Great Wall, Beijing.

Bacardi’s signature bat logo beamed from the five beacon towers in the evening, and winner Xie Jun, a bartender from Park Hyatt Shanghai, also enjoyed the spotlight.

"I attribute my winning to my good preparation for the competition. I like making cocktails because being a bartender is very cool," said the 32-year-old from Shanghai. He will join the Global final of the competition in Moscow in May, competing with national winners from around the world.

From August to September, 11 talented Chinese bartenders stood out from regional finals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. In the China final, they had to prepare two cocktails for the judges while introducing themselves and their cocktails via photos and videos.

Xie’s cocktail, Original Connection, was made from Bacardi Superior and Baron Otard VSOP. He said his inspiration was that in the past, before the popularity of mobile phones, people were more closely connected with each other at tables.

Han Guoli from Chengdu, Sichuan province, won second place with his cocktail, Bat Glory, inspired by his own love story. Wang Yuwen from Tianjin was awarded third place for his Bacardi Spirit cocktail.

It was the second Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition in China. With cocktail culture still developing in the country, the brand holds the events to nurture Chinese talent and create a platform for Chinese bartenders to showcase their talent.

"We are committed to supporting excellent bartenders who, like the brand itself, push traditional boundaries with their creativity. The 11 outstanding bartenders are here because they passionately pursue their dreams," said Bacardi’s Chairman Facundo L. Bacardi in a video specially made for the event. He is the great-grandson of Don Facundo Bacardi Masso, who founded the brand in 1862.