Diageo announces cruise line bartenders

Diageo’s global travel team has announced the names of the final three cruise line bartenders who will compete in its World Class Bartender of the Year competition.

They are:

  • Wade Cleophas, 29, South Africa: Norwegian Cruise Line
  • Santos Mercedes Enriquez, 39, Peru: Celebrity Cruises
  • Shekhar Grover, 28, India: Royal Caribbean International

Only one of the final three from partner cruise lines, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International, will go forward to represent global travel at the global grand final in Cape Town later this year.

The three triumphed over 5,500 mixologists to compete for a place in the final. They will now compete at the glitzy World Class Global Travel Final in the Diageo 396 Bar in Miami, Florida on July 9 2015.

The panel of judges who face the task of selecting a global travel winner are: Enrique de Colsa, master distiller for Tequila Don Julio; Spike Marchant, World Class global brand ambassador; Erik Lorincz, World Class bartender of the year 2010; and Julio Cabrera, managing partner of the Regent Cocktail Club in Miami.