Kimber came out of a four-year cocktail competition retirement to enter and impressed the judges with a serve that didn’t contain rum.
Second place was awarded to Joe Schofield of The Savoy while amateur Liz Stevenson took third place.
Six professional bartenders and four tiki bar enthusiasts competed for the title – preparing a Mai Tai and tiki-inspired creation in 20 minutes.
The panel of judges comprised rum and tiki expert, Paul McFadyen, village chief at CheekyTiki, Jamie Wilson and Pauline Holland, co-owner/ writer at TheFloatingRumShack.com.
Jamie Wilson said: “It was so good to see the standard was so high”, continuing “for Liz to achieve third place really highlights the dedication and creativity of the enthusiasts that love the tiki lifestyle.”
The winning serve, Puaura Fizz consisted of: 40 ml Luigi Francoli Do Vespolina E Nebbiolo Grappa, 20 ml Luxardo Maraschino, 25 ml lemon juice, 10 ml Sugar Syrup, 10 ml Hibiscus Syrup, 15 ml egg white, 2 dash orange bitters, 30 ml soda water, 1 orange slice, 1 lemon wedge. Method: Shake and strain into a tall glass, then top with Soda Water. Finish with a spray of Pernod Absinthe.
There are plans to make the CheekyTiki Cocktail Kahuna an annual event.