Hilton Cebu wins Asean Official Drink Competition

Julius Vitor, of the Sapphire Restaurant, Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa competed with nine (9) Cebu hotels and won double First Place awards, for both competition-the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic drink categories, in the recently concluded ASEAN Welcome Drink Competition, organized by the Department of Tourism Region 7, headed by Regional Director Dawnie Roa.

The Lobby of Parklane Hotel was full as the contestants started showing off their entries (a total of 20) at 4pm. Contestants were required to use the following ingredients (not as garnish) in their cocktail recipes: Cebu Mango (ripe and/or green mango), locally produced ingredients (spirits, mixers. Indigenous fruits/vegetables).

Contestants prepared and presented 2 cocktails entries each (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) on the spot, under five (5) minutes times limit per cocktail. The cocktails were exhibited in 2 ways; one in full garnished as designed by the contestant, and the other in small glasses for the judges' blind tasting. Use of flower as garnish was allowed, as along as it does not touch the drink itself, however, no manufactured items, edible or non-edible may be used.

Coached and trained by his bar supervisor, Henry Igot, Vitor's winning entries were the "Cebu Paradise", for the non-alcoholic category, a charming concoction of: fresh mango juice, green mango juice, jackfruit and singkamas, that enchanted the guests. For the alcoholic category, his "Sugbuanon", a captivates with: fresh mango juice, calamansi juice, rhum, strawberry flavored lambanog, a dash of triple sec and Galliano.

The board of judges for the Non-Alcoholic category were: Mayen Angbetic-Tan of The Freeman, Julita Urbina- VP, Hotel, Resort, Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) and Marist Araneta of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS-Cebu), while for the Alcoholic Category were: Jimmy Escano, a distinguished beef entrepreneur, Honey Loop, lifestyle columnist of The Philippine Star and The Freeman and Dr. Nestor Alonso, an expert food critic and columnist. The judges, together with Director Roa, awarded the winners with trophies and tokens.

Both the "Cebu Paradise" and "Sugbuanon" , both excelled in the following criteria: technique, sanitation, organization/ease of preparation, name, commercial viability/practicality, presentation, use of specified ingredients, and taste.

These drinks will be used and served all over Cebu as the official drink on the ASEAN Summit 2006. Meanwhile, it will be available for prologue at the Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa.

Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa is an upscale 246-room resort with a French-Mediterranean flavor located on a private beach on the holiday island of Mactan in Cebu, Philippines. The resort is just 10 minutes from the international airport and 25 minutes from cosmopolitan Cebu City.

For reservations and inquiries you may call the Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa at telephone number +632 32 4927777.