The Ultimate Award is proud to announce the four winners of the 2022 People Choice Rum-Bartender. In this first edition, 37 renowned mixologists from America were nominated by merit, and people had the opportunity to choose their favorite at our platform. The voting process began on January 10th and ended on March 1st. With over 1,200 votes here are the winners by region.
Fidel Barrios, from Venezuela, was the winner of South America. Barrios is the Director of the “International Congress of Spirits” and the creator of the “50 Best Bars in Venezuela” Awards. In 2018, Barrios was awarded as “The best bartender” at the Madrid International Rum Congress—one of the highest honors in the world of cocktails.
He has worked as a Tiki Cocktail Bartender, Cocktail Competition judge, and collaborator of the Book “Rones de Venezuela.” For Barrios, being a bartender is a lifestyle, connected to values such as respect, honesty, and kindness to provide a high-quality service.
The winner of the Caribbean is Shana Kanesha Rajahram, from Trinidad and Tobago. She is a Mixtress Professional Bar Services. In 2018, she won the CHTA’s Taste of the Caribbean Best Caribbean Bartender award. One year later, she won the Angostura Global Challenge 2019.
She is the Angostura Brand Ambassador, one of the Caribbean’s leading rum producers. Her passion and craft allowed her to discover Angostura and the deep heritage of the brand’s cocktails. She believes that one can find hospitality history and total bond with every cocktail that she creates. Shana Rajahram is now working with young bartenders passing on her knowledge to them, so that they can live their dream as well.
The winner of Central America is Raúl Cojolón from Guatemala. He is the Co-founder and Managing Director of Ulew Cocktail Bar, a benchmark space for cocktails in La Antigua, Guatemala. Likewise, he is the Co-founder and instructor at the Academia Wareke Gt, which offers a variety of courses on mixology.
Cojolón is recognized as one of the best mixologists in Guatemala. He won the World Class Guatemala in 2014. The same year participated in the World Class held in the United Kingdom, being the first Guatemalan to represent his country in this cocktail competition.
He started as a waiter in the hospitality industry. He has been the winner of other competitions and has been in charge of different gastro-cocktail events in his country such as Zacapa Room, Latitud del Ron, Feria Alimentaria, amongst others.
Furthermore, Cojolón has also participated as a judge in bartender competitions and currently collaborates as a consultant in restaurants and bars in conjunction with various famous spirits brands. His love for Guatemalan ingredients, along with creativity and good techniques, is what describes Raúl Cojolón’s job and his well-balanced drinks.
Luigi Hernández, from Mexico, is the winner of North America. He is the Co-founder of the Tikilha brand and currently is the Head Mixologist at Conrad Tulum by Hilton. He is a Tiki Cocktail bartender with more than 10 years of experience in the field and has worked in hotels and bars such as Puebla 109, Parker & Lenox, Azulik Tulum Hotel, and Reef 28 Hotel.
Hernández was also the Head Bartender in Waikiki Tiki Room Bar—celebrated in the list of the 50 best Discovery 2021—in the brand ambassador party for Appleton Estate, Disaronno, and Flor de Caña. He has made pub crawls all over the world from the United States to London.
In 2017, he was nominated by the ISR Madrid, winning the competition. In 2021, he had the opportunity to be part of the panel of judges in Tiki Oasis. Alos, the Mexican bartender’s recipes were included in the Tiki Book in Spanish. For the realization of his cocktails, Hernández has adopted a sustainable approach to reducing food waste at the bar. The results have left him with great satisfaction.
The four outstanding mixologists will receive their prizes in the Miami Rum Congress 2022 to be celebrated on March 11th and 12th at Hilton Cabana Miami Beach, Florida. They will also have a special interview on The Rum Lab, as well as their job and achievements will be shared on The Ultimate Award platforms from now on.
