Alejandro Fleites and Mario L. Acosta win the national finals of the Cocktail Maestros Havana Club contest

Alejandro Fleites and Mario L. Acosta win the national finals of the Cocktail Maestros Havana Club contest

By Daily Pérez Guillén Cuba already has its representatives for the regional and world competitions of the Cocktail Maestros Havana Club contest. Bartenders Alejandro Fleites and Mario Luis Acosta prevailed over their fellow bartenders and secured their ticket to the next phase in Colombia. After two rounds of competitions in which they had to demonstrate their skills and knowledge of Cuban cocktails, the prestigious jury, made up of Havana Club International SA specialists, brand ambassadors and renowned national bartenders, chose the pair that combines experience and youth. The Cocktail Maestros Havana Club is a contest sponsored by the international joint venture that highlights the collaborative spirit among bartenders and reaffirms Cuba's place in the global cocktail scene. Amed Álvarez, the company's National Sales and Marketing director, pointed out that the professionalism of the continent's bartenders in this type of events, “is at the height of what we are interested in as a brand to let the world know about the quality of Cuban cocktails.”

During the first eliminatory phase, 20 teams showed a high level, with a notable participation of women bartenders, a reflection of the diversity and evolution of the profession in the country. From that first competition, three duos were chosen, made up of Gabriela Méndez Dávila and Natalie Valdés; Mario Luis Acosta Batista and Alejandro Fleites Socarrás, plus the absolute winners at the Sky Bar of the Hotel Iberostar Selection Habana. After the presentation in Colombia, the event will culminate in 2026 with a grand international final in Cuba, another opportunity to reaffirm the island's leadership in the world of mixology.