What bartender wouldn’t dream of creating a cocktail with lasting international appeal?

The annual Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition seeks such a drink. Held in Sydney last week, the 2015 event welcomed 34 preeminent bartenders — each won competitions in their own countries — to present their signature cocktails before a judging panel of industry elite.

The winner received opportunity to forge their own Bacardi legacy, traveling the globe with the brand to showcase their cocktail.

From the field of 34, judges selected a final eight (or “The Ocho,” as went the saying). These cocktail recipes are listed below (in ml, due to the international setting), along with American entrant Ran Duan, a surprise omission from the final eight.

Father’s Advice

Ran Duan, USA — Father’s Advice

45 ml Bacardi Carta Oro
15 ml Punt E Mes Italian Vermouth
15 ml Cardamaro Italian herbal liqueur
15 ml Amontillado sherry
7.5 ml Crème de banana

Combine all ingredients and stir for 45 seconds. Pour into a Coupette glass. Garnish with an orange swath.

Faye Chen, China — Gold Fashioned

50 ml Bacardi Carta Oro
25 ml Honey logan water
1 dash Angostura bitters

Stir and strain. Serve on the rocks. Garnish with honeycomb.

Xaris Darras, Greece — Clandestino

Cladestino

60 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca
15 ml St-Germain liqueur
25 ml Lime juice
20 ml Pineapple juice
15 ml Honeymade honey-vinegar*
2 Dashes Worcester sauce

*Honey Vinegar:
3 parts honey, 1 part cider vinegar

Hard shake and fine strain. Serve in a Coupette glass. Garnish with a dried lime with mint, on top.

Garrigue

Karim Mehdi, Ireland — Garrigue

50 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca
20 ml Lemon juice
15 ml Yellow Chartreuse liqueur
15 ml Orgeat syrup
Pinch of sea salt

Shake hard with cubed ice, fine strain. Serve in Coupette glass. Garnish with lemon zest and dried lavender.

Denzel Heath, South Africa — The Lennox

50 ml Bacardi Carta Oro
12.5 ml Perdo Ximenez sherry
12.5 1:1 Banana syrup*
2 dashes All Spice | Pimento Aromatic bitters
12.5 Egg white

Shake and strain. Serve in a Coupette glass. Garnish with lemon zest.

Chua Zhibin Peter, Singapore — Sugar Man

Sugar Man

45 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca
15 ml Fresh lime juice
15 ml Rich ginger syrup*
45 ml Ginger beer
3 Dashes absinthe
5-6 Slices salted cucumber

Pour all ingredients except ginger beer into a shaker and then shake. Fine strain over ice. Top with ginger beer. Serve in a collins glass. Garnish with a cucumber flower or fan.

The Final Three

Jad Ballout, Lebanon — El Mediterraneo

El Mediterraneo

50 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca
10 ml Skinos Mastiha Liqueur
20 ml Lemon juice
20 ml Sugar syrup (1:1)
6 Leaves of fresh basil

Add all ingredients to shaker and muddle with basil leaves. Shake and double strain. Serve in Coupette glass. Garnish with drops of olive oil.

Barney Toy, New Zealand — The Pan Am Cocktail

45 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca
15 ml Aperol
15 ml Orgeat syrup
30 ml Fresh Myer lemon juice
15 ml Egg white

Add everything to a tin on tin shaker, adding egg white last. Dry shake to emulsify and then hard shake with ice and then fine strain. Serve in a Nick and Nora glass (chilled). Garnish with 2-3 sprays of atomized Angostura Bitters.

2015 Bacardi Legacy Champion, Frank Dedieu, France — Le Latin 

Le Latin

45 ml Bacardi Carta Blanca
20 ml White wine (Voignier preferred)
20 ml Lemon juice
6 ml Olive brine
2 barspoons of sugar cane

Shake and strain. Serve in a Coupette glass. Garnish with an olive, dropped into the drink.