Tennis Grand Slam Champion and World number-one ranked Victoria Azarenka swapped her tennis racquet for a cocktail shaker ahead of the US Open. Victoria joined in an exclusive “Mix with Victoria” event at the Above Allen Bar in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
The event was part of the Bacardi Limited award-winning “Champions Drink Responsibly” social responsibility initiative and pitched five of New York’s hottest bartenders against each other to create a new signature mocktail (non-alcoholic cocktail) for the Champions campaign.
Australian Open Champion Victoria Azarenka stepped in for the Bacardi Limited Global Social Responsibility Ambassador Rafa Nadal who was unable to attend the New York event due to injury. Victoria took time out from her busy practice schedule ahead of the final Grand Slam event of the year to recreate the finalists’ mocktails. Pamela Wiznitzer from L’oubil bar’s creation of The Champions Mix was chosen by Victoria as the winning mocktail. The Champions Mix recipe will now be shared with fans of “Champions Drink Responsibly” via Facebook® pages.
“I had a fun evening, learning how to make some delicious mocktails from the best in the business here in New York” said Victoria Azarenka. “The Rafa Berry Smash, the original signature mocktail, is a hard act to follow, but I am really pleased with The Champions Mix. I want everyone to enjoy their nights out and try some mocktails as a delicious alternative to soft drinks or water.”
Azarenka was joined by some fans who won tickets to the event through exclusive competitions in the New York area. The participating bar tenders were motivated to create new mocktails as many outlets in the city now list them on bar drinks menus as they become more popular. Azarenka and the guests at the event recreated the “Time Out” hand gesture featured by Rafa Nadal from the Champions advertising campaign to reinforce the message of pacing yourself when it comes to drinking during a night out.
”I can’t believe Victoria has picked my mocktail. It was a pleasure to meet her. She was so friendly and down to earth and a great ambassador for such a serious topic of responsible drinking,” said Pamela Wiznitzer the winner from L’oubil Bar. “To think that my creation will be used by Bacardi Limited and promoted around the world is a real honor for me. I can’t wait to serve it up to my regulars at my bar.”
“‘Mix with Victoria’ has been a very successful event for Bacardi Limited in New York. Victoria has been a true Champion and I can’t thank her enough for helping us with our event in Rafa’s absence. We have a great mocktail to promote around the world alongside our other drinks,” said Chris Searle, global CSR director, Bacardi Limited. “Champions Drink Responsibly is all about promoting responsible drinking behavior and enjoying mocktails during your night is just one example of that.”
More information about Bacardi Limited: www.BacardiLimited.com