Cocktails, just like with most things in life, come out best when there is balance involved. Just ask local bartender Jai-Michael Phillips, from Red Steakhouse and Bar, who had to precisely blend the tartness of fresh lemon juice with the subtle sweet flavours of vanilla extract and Absolut Citron, to create a standout drink in the Bermuda Absolut Best Bartender Competition.He is just one of five local bartenders whose drink was selected to be part of the BABB Shake-off, happening at Goslings Wine Cellar on Sunday.Other contestants include: Staleina (Skillz) Franks from Swizzle South Shore, McClain Pimental from Coconut Rock, Darren Simmons from Country Squire and Robby Bell from Flanagan’s.This weekend’s winner will be gifted with $1,500, a trophy and bragging rights for the next year. Their drink will also be listed as the featured cocktail for the next 12 months.Eighteen bartenders entered the competition back in May, with the hope of making it to the finals. Their respective bar owners were asked to randomly pick a vodka flavour from a bag containing 11 Absolut flavours, which the bartenders then used for their drink.After deciding on their recipe, it was passed on to an anonymous jury, who visited each location to sample the drinks and then determine the top five.Mr Phillips, a bartender for almost ten years, was entered into the competition by the manager at Red Steakhouse.Since then, he has received positive feedback from all the staff and customers he served the drink to and “felt as though it had a chance to do well”.His cocktail called ‘Lemon Meringue-ade’ was inspired by the fresh taste of lemonade and home-baked goodness of lemon meringue pie.The beverage is described as smooth and easy to drink; and the bartender said the combination of tart and sweet ingredients “provide a balanced and pleasing flavour profile.”Mr Phillips said it was gratifying to know he was selected to progress further in the competition.“I feel great that the drink has been acknowledged and that the restaurant will benefit from the exposure this competition will bring,” he said.Ms Franks, the only female contestant remaining in the competition, admitted she was grateful to the manager at Swizzle for believing in her enough to enter her into the competition.She designed her drink, called Mangotopia, to be a refreshing option for the summer months. “I wanted it to be a little sweet so I took soda water and Rose’s lime, that is the refreshing part of the drink, and added in mango purée and vodka to balance out the recipe.”Ms Franks has been bartending for the past six or seven years, after getting her shot behind the bar when a co-worker called in sick one day.“I have been here ever since,” she explained. “I enjoy making people smile and seeing them come back time after time, and because I have been here for so many years the regulars at my bar are like family now.”She was taught everything she knows from local bartender Benjamin Smith.When asked, she said she was “nervous” in lead up to the event finals this weekend, but said: “I have come this far, so I am trying to push that aside and be more confident. I have done this for a long time, so I think I have got it.”Robby Bell, a bartender at Flanagan’s, created a drink inspired by the Bermuda Day holiday and the colour of the Island’s sandy beaches, which he coined ‘Bermy Dayze’.He said he was “fully confident” in his drink and said the combination of ingredients like ginger, strawberry and Absolute Kurant, along with a pink sugar coated rim, provided people with a “unique combination of flavours”.“The taste is sweet with a little bit of spice,” he added.Mr Bell has been bartending for more than two decades and started off in the profession because “I’m a people person and love making others laugh”.He said he was looking forward to the finals and hopeful that he has the potential to take home the top prize, simply due to the positive feed back that has poured in from customers who sampled the drink.The final ‘BABB Shake-Off’ will take place on Sunday afternoon, at which point a Cocktail Jury will be on hand to watch the final five bartenders create their drink. They will judge the beverages on certain criteria such as presentation, shake and flavour.The winner will take home the grand-prize and will also be asked to return as a judge for the 2014 BABB Contest.Meanwhile, the runner up will get a cheque in the amount of $1000 and third place participant will receive a $500 cheque. Fourth and fifth place recipients will receive a De Kuyper Bar kit.For more information, visit the Bermuda’s Absolut Best Bartender Facebook page.