Sponsored by Bénédictine Liqueur, the final took place in the Skylounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton close to the Tower of London.
Paulo won an all-expenses five-day paid trip to South Africa, representing the UK in the 2014 IBA World Final.
Paulo beat 21 other mixologists, and triumphed with his creation: One D.O.M. The cocktail was made up of Bénédictine, Zorokovich vodka, lime juice, and honey.
In its the 10th consecutive year UKGB competition finalists were tasked with creating their own personalised cocktail, which had to include a minimum of 25ml of Bénédictine. The judges scored them on the appearance, aroma and taste of their creation, as well as their knowledge of the French liqueur, and their creative skill.
UK Bartender’s Guild president, Daniel Crebesse, said: “The quality of both bartenders and cocktails has been exceptional. Pedro has shown a high level of professionalism and dedication throughout the competition and we’re delighted to announce him as the winner. We have high hopes for him in the IBA final in South Africa, and based on the quality of his cocktail we saw at the final, the UK’s chances next year are strong indeed.”
Paul Curry, Bénédictine brand manager, said: “The UKBG National Cocktail Competition is an exceptional contest and it’s been an absolute pleasure to have been involved with it this year. Thank you to everyone at the UKBG, and in particular Mike Sweetman, London area chairman, and Tom Elms Photography, for making the competition such a great success.”
