Bartenders strut (and shake and stir) on awards night

Xie Jun, winner of the competition. CHINA DAILY

They stroll down the red carpet one-by-one, approaching the awards platform like fashion models or best-actor nominees, as spotlights beam down from the ancient beacon towers of the Great Wall at Juyongguan in northern Beijing.

They are 11 of China's young and talented bartenders, claiming honors after the China final of Bacardi's Legacy Cocktail Competition. The spotlights not only illuminate winner Xie Jun from the Park Hyatt Shanghai and the 10 runners-up, but also the rum sponsor's signature bat logo.

"I'm so thrilled!" exclaims the 32-year-old Xie, who proudly holds high the torch of the championship.

"I attribute my winning to my good preparation for the competition. I like making cocktails because being a bartender is very cool."

He will go to Moscow for the global finals in May to compete with winners from all over the world.

"It is incredible that people share the beautiful moment with everyone around the world on top of one of the Seven Wonders of the World," says Dean McHugh, managing director of Bacardi China Limited.

When mixed with soft drinks or wines, Bacardi rums, which originated from the Cuban city of Santiago in 1862, make many classic cocktails, such as the mojito and the Cuba libre. Launched in China in 2013, the competition aims to inspire talented bartenders to make new and impressive cocktails that will - like the Great Wall itself - stand the test of time, McHugh says.