First launched in 2022 as part of the group’s 10th anniversary, the competition was developed by The Marini’s Group to support the local bartending community and promote the growing cocktail culture in Malaysia.
The 2023 edition took place on 20 November at Marini’s on 57 Lounge, where 10 finalists presented two original drinks each — one based on the theme of “Celebration” and the other on “Disco”.
The finalists were selected from an Instagram-based preliminary round, which required participants to submit an original cocktail recipe and video aligned to the year’s theme.The judging panel comprised Bastien Michaud (Pernod Ricard), Jon Lee
(Penrose KL), and F&B writer Nicholas Ng (Food for Thought).
This year’s winner was Amanda Wan Winchester from Wholly Spirits, who walked away with the RM10,000 cash prize. Her drinks were Money Pot, a sharing cocktail with oolong tea, vodka, and champagne, and The Sun Never Sets, a tequila-meets-negroni-style drink featuring mezcal, Campari, and fluffy orange juice.
Jason Dennis D’Cruz from Te Amo placed second and received RM5,000. His cocktails were Harmony, a blend of Martell, coffee liqueur, and salted caramel, and Cabana Flashback, a Blue Hawaiian-inspired drink with jackfruit and vanilla infusions.
Third place went to Matthew “Mattman” Joseph of BAC Bar, who presented Festive Fizz, a Christmas spice gin and cognac cocktail, and Disco Ball, a glittered Bee’s Knees variation. He won RM3,000.
Additional cash prizes were awarded to the fourth- and fifth-place winners — Lee Wei Lung (Parkroyal Collection KL) and Ram Prasad (BAC Bar), respectively — while all other finalists received consolation prizes.
The top five cocktails will be featured on the Marini’s on 57 Bar and Lounge menu.
For more on Marini's: marinisgroup.com
