A local bartender has won a prestigious international cocktail award during the ‘World’s 50 Best Bars’ awards in Barcelona.

Drew Fleming, a bartender and the general manager of Kiki Lounge in Douglas, won The Blend Scholarship at the ceremony.

As part of the contest, Mr Fleming had to design a cocktail championing a local ingredient, he came up with ‘Webb of Skies’ which contains Hoolie Manx White Rum, lemon verbena from Staarvey Farm and Roots by the Sea Honey.

Mr Fleming said: ‘I still can’t quite believe it, to even be a guest at such an important event for our industry is insane, let alone the win.

‘I am so proud of the island, and what we, the Extra Fancy family, have achieved together in such a short space of time. I can’t wait to get back behind our bar.’

The award is judged by some of the industry’s top figures representing bars all over the world including Singapore, USA and Colombia.

internship

Mr Fleming’s three-month internship will see him spend time at two of the world’s best rated bars, Connaught Bar in London, the winner of the ‘World’s Best Bar’ award in 2020 and 2021, and Katana Kitten in New York.

He will also be hosted for the ‘experience of a lifetime’ in Madrid.

It’s not Mr Fleming’s first success of the year as he previously came second in the ‘Dusk ‘til Dawn: Bartender’s vs Baristas’ competition whilst Kiki Lounge head bartender also placed second in the ‘Chairman’s Reserve Mai Tai Challenge’.