Las Vegas Weekly

Las Vegas bartender is taking his game global with his drink The Spice Trade

The drink that got Raul Faria into the Finlandia Vodka Cup — The Spice Trade.

Raul Faria has earned some serious bragging rights. The bartender at Serendipity 3 at Caesars Palace recently bested bartenders from across the country in a cocktail competition, and will now represent the United States at the Finlandia Vodka Cup in Helsinki.

Faria submitted his winning cocktail, The Spice Trade, to Finlandia.com, and fans and a panel of mixology experts determined the winners. In all, 363 bartenders from 34 countries submitted recipes, and Faria is one of 20 selected worldwide to compete in several categories at the competition.

The Vodka Cup will be held in early February, with live streaming of the event on Finlandia’s Facebook pageon February 1.

If you need an example of Faria’s brilliance, check out this cocktail recipe:

The Spice Trade

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. Finlandia vodka

.75 oz. Barenjager honey liqueur

4 oz. Fresh squeezed nectarine juice

.25 oz. Fresh lime juice

.75 oz. Fresh vanilla bean simple syrup

1 dash Saffron (6-8 strands)

6 Mint leaves

Method: In a mixing glass add mint, saffron, fresh lime juice and vanilla syrup then muddle contents. After muddling add fresh nectarine juice, Finlandia vodka and honey liqueur to glass. Shake vigorously. Pour over highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig and nectarine twist.