Maria Essay Janina Sinay's innovative beverage bags the top prize at the UAE edition of Monin Cup 2016

• The competition was held to reward the UAE’s most talented young Beverage industry professionals, aged under 27 years’ old 

Dubai, UAE, October 31, 2016:   The UAE edition of the Monin Cup 2016, saw Maria Essay Janina Sinay from Bahri Bar, Mina A’Salam, Madinat Jumeirah emerge victorious as the day-long competition, featuring some of the UAE’s most talented young beverage sector professionals, came to an end. The adrenaline filled event held on October 23, 2016 at the China Grill, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, saw 12 mixologists vie for the top position.

The finale was the result of an extensive nationwide search for young bartenders, who entered the competition through a registration process. The competition was open to bartenders, aged under 27 years from across the UAE.

Maria, hailing from the Philippines won the competition for her unique creation, which used the Monin Pineapple flavour as its base. 

The competition brought together young professional bartenders from across the country. The participants were tasked with creating their best signature drinks using Monin products. The competitors were judged on creativity, technics, presentation and uniqueness. 

Celebrated mixologist Marian Beke of The Gibson Bar, London, UK, was the guest speaker at the event. He led a Masterclass, showcasing various bartending skills and tips to master the art of mixology. He also made some of his signature cocktails and mocktails.

Commenting on the success of the event, Andrea Fidora, Beverage Innovation Director for Monin in the Middle East, Africa and Sub-Continent, said, “It is always good to promote and enhance young talent. The response to the Monin Cup has been phenomenal right from registration to the final event. The bartender community came out in hordes to cheer the contenders and support their favourites. We saw some extremely talented youngsters, who showcased different professional skills.”

Mr. Ghaith Zeidan, Commercial Director – Beverage at Fresh Express, said, “After months of preparation for the Monin Cup UAE edition, it is nice to see that so many youngsters are passionate about what they do and are not afraid to experiment. This year it was an even bigger event as we also had Marian Beke come in as the guest speaker at the event. His Masterclass was insightful and I am sure most of these budding bartenders will have a lot great tips to ponder on and use in their professional life. We hope this continues and we see more participation in the coming years.” 

Monin is a French-based gourmet flavour business solutions group. The products under the brand are distributed in the UAE by local beverage industry major, Fresh Express.

Monin is a global leader in gourmet flavours with more than 100-million-euro turnover and a network of exclusive importers in over 140 countries. Monin has carved out a reputation as an imaginative drinks solution provider offering over 140 products.

Fresh Express Beverages is a major name in the UAE’s F&B industry with world renowned brands across a spectrum of beverage products and solutions. 

The winner will be competing with 40 others in the global finals being held at Paris, France on December 5, 2016.