HK’s Bacardi Legacy final four announced

Following Bacardi Legacy’s Hong Kong final competition on 23 January, four hopefuls have been selected to represent Hong Kong and Macau in the regional finals in Taiwan on 20 February.

Established in 2008 but now in its fourth year in Hong Kong, Bacardi Legacy aims to recognize emerging bartender talent who can dream up thematic cocktails using Bacardi’s Carta Blanca, Carta Oro and Ocho expressions.

The four finalists from Hong Kong and Macau out of the initial eight who have made it through to the Taiwan regional final on 20 February have been announced as (in alphabetical order) Timothy Ching from Bibo, Gurung Rajkiran from Zuma, Amanda Wan from The Envoy and Koko Widyatno from the Ritz Carlton Macau.

Last year, 35 countries participated in Bacardi Legacy and this year’s final is set to take place in Berlin in late April or early May.

Click through to meet the four finalists and their cocktails….

Timothy Ching – Bibo

Timothy Ching had his first taste of cocktails as an art student at university and started his bartending career at the student bar in Birmingham.

His Bacardi creation, El Cuban Padre emulates a classic Manhattan but replaces whisky with Bacardi Gold and blends aromatic orange and coffee scents. 

Gurung Rajkiran – Zuma

Gurung (also known as Gagan) is from Nepal and has lived in Hong Kong since 2008.

His Guerrero cocktail has the theme of ‘Determination, focus and ambition,’ – a motto passed down through his family’s generations.

Gagan uses Bacardi Ron Carta Blanca as the base and adds in passion fruit and coconut, giving a hint of tropical and fruity flavour, with the cocktail’s white colour representing peace and unity.  

Amanda Wan – The Envoy

The only female top 8 finalist this year, Amanda has 11 years of experience in the bartending industry, and in last year’s competition finished in the top three regional finalists.

Her Bacardi beauty, Constance, is her signature cocktail with jasmine tea and wasabi. 

Koco Widyatno – The Ritz-Carlton Macau

Koco has been a bartender for three years and joined the Ritz Carlton in Macau around six months ago.

His cocktail, Catalans comes from his home country of Indonesia and uses some authentic Indonesian ingredients, including coffee beans and cinnamon as well as Aztec Chocolate bitters.

Tasting similar to the classic Rom Cremat from Catalonia, Koco has created his Catalans cocktail to be drink chilled or warm.