Alaya Resort Ubud, in collaboration with the Asia Bartenders Association (ABA), proudly present the very first cocktail making tournament in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. The Ubud Viking Flair and Cocktails Challenge 2018 was held on 12th June 2018 at Manisan Bali, Alaya Resort Ubud.

This exclusive event was ABA Indonesia’s second bartender competition on the island of Bali in 2018. Usually held in lifestyle locations such as Kuta and Nusa Dua, this time around ABA Indonesia aimed to introduce the art of Flair Bartending to Ubud and encourage a new generation of bar staff to learn more about cocktails.

“This challenge is a chance for all bartenders in Ubud to take their skills to the next level. The competition is open to all local bartenders and they can participate by registering with ABA Indonesia,” said Agung Yoga, President of ABA.

Contestants got to showcase their talents in the flair category by making two drinks in the Working Flair Exhibition before going into the next round. Each contestant got to perform for six minutes by offering up two drinks. They had a further three minutes to create one additional cocktail based purely on technical precision rather than theatrics. As a sponsored event, all participants must use an Iceland Vodka bottle for their flair performance and Empire Gin as a basic spirit in the mixology category.

At the event, 27 bartenders including one from Russia showed their talent in the flair category by making two drinks in the Working Flair Exhibition before going into the next round. The competition had successfully invited passionate bartenders to battle it out for a generous IDR 15.000.000 cash prize. The judging panel made up of professional bartenders including Agung Raka, Agung Darmawan, Agung Udiana, Bayu Hendra, and Rama Suwiyoga. All of these judges are certified as legends in National and International Flair Championships. They used ABA Standard Scoring System 2018 to assess and score of each performance fairly. The Champion goes to I Wayan Eka Darmawan and got IDR 5.000.000 cash. The second place won IDR 4.000.000 cash prize by Putu Purnayasa. The third place goes to I Gede Aldi Suardana. He also got cash prize at IDR 3.000.000. While the fourth place goes to I Putu Arya Daging Arta and got cash prize at IDR 2.000.000. More over an International female contestant Ilona Turintseva also won a Best Cocktail rewarded by a Trophy, certificate, charter, and IDR 1.000.000 cash prize.

Dewi Mas, General Manager Alaya Hotels & Resorts, commented that this event is the first of its kind in Ubud. It is indeed a great honour for Alaya Resort Ubud to host the Flair and Cocktails Challenge 2018. She goes on to say that hopefully in the future Ubud will become known as a destination where guests can experience creative cocktails made with expert precision.