The Malta edition of the Monin Cup Cocktail Competition was held on 14th November at Le Meridien in St Julians, organised by Farsons Beverage Imports Company Limited, the official importer of Monin, in collaboration with the Maltese Bartenders Guild. Official sponsors of the event were Absolut Vodka, Havana Club, Ballantines and Beefeater.

In the first round of the competition, bartenders were asked to create an alcoholic short cocktail, whereas in the second round three finalists were asked to create a non-alcoholic long drink from a selection of three secret Monin flavours within a period of 12 minutes.

Mark Joseph Cilia, bartender at the Hilton Hotel Malta was announced winner of the overall competition. He convinced the judges with his innovative cocktail creations and professionalism. Adrian Magro and Chris Incorvaja, both from the Xara Palace Hotel, Mdina, placed second and third respectively.

Mark will represent Malta at the 2011 Monin Cup Final to be held on the 12th December in Paris at one of the most magical sites in the city – The Eiffel Tower.

The Monin Cup is the ideal opportunity for young professional bartenders to present their ideas and creations. Participants are judged on their cocktail, their preparation skills, as well as their general knowledge and professionalism.

Monin is the world leader and trusted source of premium syrups offering a wide range of over 100 flavours. It is an extremely creative brand and offers a vast selection of cocktail recipes on its website www.monin.com.

Monin is marketed and distributed by Farsons Beverage Imports Limited, a member of The Farsons Group.