Bartender Kojo Darrell had an inkling he was doing well in Bacardi’s Art of the Pour Competition when he ran out of cups. He had been told to mix enough of his cocktail for 500 people at the mixology competition held at Bacardi headquarters in Hamilton this month.

“I not only ran out of cups, I ran out of the cocktail,” said Mr Darrell, bar manager at White Horse Pub and Restaurant in St George. “People were coming back for fourths and fifths.”

Competing against 11 mixologists from local bars and restaurants, Mr Darrell won best vodka cocktail and best bar and restaurant cocktail.

His boss, Dennie O’Connor, was thrilled, saying White Horse had emerged as the star of the evening.

“Our inventive concoctions captivated both judges and attendees, solidifying White Horse’s reputation as a leader in the cocktail domain,” Mr O’Connor said. “White Horse’s success was a testament to our exceptional creativity and dedication to excellence.”

Four years ago, Mr Darrell didn’t even know what mixology was.

“I was working as a bartender at Bungalow 56, but my knowledge was very limited,” the 26-year-old said. “I thought serving drinks was just about spirits and sodas.”

General manager Sula Foggo opened his eyes to the possibilities.

“He gave me this drink in a tiki glass,” Mr Darrell said. “I tried it and thought it had a lot of flavour for a drink with liquor in it.”

He was further surprised by all the ingredients in the concoction.

“After that, every chance I got I dabbled in mixing drinks,” he said. “I wanted to look into it more.”

Mr Foggo and another bartending friend, Mikai Johnston, gave him tips and tricks.

“I read books and watched a lot of videos on mixology,” Mr Darrell said.

He also studied menu sheets. “They are like a playbook to me,” he said. “I looked at different styles of drink mixing. I went into it in much the same way as a chef goes into the culinary arts. I went deep, learning things like how rum and spirits are made.”

Working at Bungalow 56 gave him the opportunity to experiment.

“I had flexibility in terms of creativity,” Mr Darrell said.

As he progressed, he started mixing cocktails for house parties and tourist events. In 2022, he was working at the Bermuda Rugby Classic when he caught the attention of the owners of the Blind Pig Cocktail Catering Co.

“They saw how well I was performing and enlisted me to the team,” Mr Darrell said. “That allowed me to gain more knowledge. Mixology is not just about making drinks. You also have to understand, what goes with what.”

He learnt that most cocktail’s follow the bartender’s golden ratio: two parts spirit, one part sweet and one part sour.

“All you do is just swap out the ingredients,” he said. “If you want to be more creative, then you can make your own syrups, and craft your own ingredients.”

Last year he made a syrup out of loquats, cloves and honey. “It was for a non-alcoholic drink I called Kojo’s Mocktail,” he said. “It was really good.”

However, he is not seeing much demand for mocktails at White Horse.

“We have one lady who comes in and asks for a mocktail, but other than that we don’t have a lot of customers asking for them,” he said.

He became bar manager at Whitehorse, a year ago. Bacardi’s Art of the Pour was his first time participating in a mixology competition.

“I did it because my boss asked me to,” he said. “I always wanted to do something like this, but never felt ready.”

Art of the Pour was his first time making drinks in batches, but Baby’s Best Friend was already in his arsenal. He first made the cocktail last year for a breast cancer awareness event.

“I am with the Royal Bermuda Regiment and we do a lot of walks for breast cancer,” he said. “I give money towards the cause every year. I don’t have any family members who have had it, but my father did have stage four cancer twice.”

The name, Baby’s Best Friend was a curiosity factor during the contest, with many people trying to guess what it meant.

“They thought it had to do with some kind of drama,” Mr Darrell said. “They thought baby was my girlfriend.”

According to The White Horse bartender, a baby’s best friend is the breast.

However, there was no milk in the drink he made; the main ingredient was Grey Goose Vodka.

“The flavour was white peach and rosemary, followed by St Germain,” Mr Darrell said. “I also had Triple sec, an orange liqueur, in there. Those three together pretty much brought out a new flavour.”

On the big night, he was confident of his brand and product. He had already sold it at other events. “A lot of guests love it,” he said.

Mr Darrell’s win bought White Horse trophies and plaques, but for him the reward was recognition.

“Taking part elevated my brand,” he said. “Even if you don’t win, there are always eyes out there. My mother always says your brand is your bread and butter. People will always see how you carry yourself in life.”

His dream is to one day work abroad in different bars to gain experience.