The second of our series of posts on the outstanding Bacardi Legacy competition (Matthew Dakers, eventual winner of the 2009 competition, featured back in February 2010) highlights Metinee Kongsrivilai (May) of Edinburgh's Bon Vivant, who placed in the final three with her drink, The Matinee.
The Bacardi Legacy competition has firmly cemented itself as one of the top bartender competitions in the world, with a grand final that must put a slight dent in the (deep) pockets of Bacardi every year. Having been a guest at two finals myself, I can confirm that no expense is spared in hosting this magnificent occasion.
Every year, three finalists are chosen to spend the next year marketing their drink in any number of ways. May has chosen to initiate a website featuring bars and bartenders who are supporting The Matinee.
In May's own words, here's the story behind the creation of The Matinee:
"Initially it started out as remark from a friend who thought it would be funny to make a joke out of my name: 'Metinee Kongsrivilai'..."hahaha...why don't call the drink 'Matinee'?". At that moment, the switch was clicked inside my head. To me, the definition of a 'Matinee' is “a performance or entertainment that can also be enjoyed during the day”. Something that I think The Matinee delivers. Jokes aside, there’s an element of seriousness to the background of the drink.
Learning about the hardship and the success that the Bacardi family had experienced across eight generations inspired me to take a look at my own family history and heritage. Generations of my family lived in poverty surviving floods and supporting such a large family with minimal money. Throughout all of this, the Kongsrivilais attempted a sweet and dessert making business. Their business wasn’t amazingly successful, yet, Like the Bacardi family, it was their determination and passion that made has eventually established them as one of Thailand’s greatest dessert business, three generations on.
In the end, I was inspired to incorporate the element of heritage into The Matinee. The Characteristics of Bacardi together with the Martini Rosso and Vanilla represents the dessert component that is so important to my family. The Kaffir was inspired by the Jungle that had surrounded my home for generations and a source of provisions that helped my family survive. We're very lucky to live in a globalised world, and have access to so many wonderful flavours of the world. I thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of this.
The Bacardi legacy competition has been career changing for me and has helped me rekindle my love for this industry a just before the competition, I started to have doubts as to whether there's a place for me within it. For the time being, I'm just going to keep pushing the Matinee as I believe that there's a place for it in this new generation of contemporary classics, but we'll just have to see."
We're currently hoping to tie up a Guest Bartender appearance from May as part of her final Bacardi Legacy presentation, so we'll keep you updated on that one. In the meantime, best of luck May!
50ml BACARDI SUPERIOR
2-4 Kaffir Lime leaves
12.5ml Martini Rosso
12.5ml Lemon Juice
12.5ml Vanilla gomme
12.5ml Egg white
Shake and double strain, serving straight up with a kaffir lime leaf garnish.
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