When Izzy Bennett heard her name announced as the winner of Art of the Pour last Friday night, she couldn't contain herself.

“I honestly couldn't believe it. I was screaming. I couldn't stop screaming at the top of my lungs. I didn't expect it. Even tasting the other drinks, I was like, ‘I don't know, this tastes good’.

“When they said my name, it was such a relief. Everything that I went through coming up to the competition went over my head. I actually finally did it.”

For the Rosewood Bermuda mixologist, the victory was another milestone in a journey that began with watching bartenders work while she was employed in room service.

Ms Bennett joined Rosewood in 2018 and became fascinated by what was happening behind the bar.

“I would watch the bartenders, help them cut fruit and that's what made me interested.

Eventually, one of the bartenders offered to train her.

“He would take his empty bottles and fill them up with water and teach me the basics and time me. We have to have the cocktails out in three to five minutes. He would train me intensely.”

And Ms Bennett was a willing student.

“I'm a nerd, so once I'm into it, I will research it and go over and over it.”

She began bartending in 2021, and when her mentor became a bar manager, she stepped into the role herself. It was during that period that she created the Izzy, a cocktail that became popular with guests. In 2023, she won a Best of Bermuda award.

But for Ms Bennett, bartending has always been about more than mixing drinks.

“I love doing what I do. I love performing. I'm a performing artist. I've been doing it since I was a kid. Bartending is like performing 24/7. You never know who's in front of you.”

She continued developing her skills through the fourth cohort of Shake Your Future, a bartending training programme, and has since started sharing what she has learnt with others.

“I learnt so much. Now that I have all that knowledge, I do want to give that knowledge back to people who are interested. I train them and teach them. There's so much more that I still want to learn. I still have a long journey ahead.”

A cocktail with a story

Her winning creation, La Reina del Bat, was inspired by the story behind Bacardi's famous bat symbol.

Bennett recounted how Doña Amalia, the wife of Bacardi founder Don Facundo, spotted a colony of fruit bats in the rafters of the original Cuban distillery and chose to embrace them rather than remove them. The bat became a symbol associated with good fortune, family unity and health.

For Ms Bennett, the story resonated on a personal level.

“I decided, why not put that through my story? I've been through a lot and instead of letting the darkness outshine me, I choose the light.”

The cocktail combined Bacardi 4 and Bacardi Facundo NEO Rum with her own guava vermouth and a house-made cordial featuring grapefruit, hibiscus and passion fruit. Butterfly pea tea provided the finishing layer.

But it wasn't simply the ingredients that made her presentation memorable.

“When they came to me, I had a little cup of soda water with grapefruit as a palate cleanser. I also made my own perfume. That was supposed to represent taking them back to the distillery when she noticed the bat.”

She believes the entire experience helped her connect with the judges.

“The way I presented it and the passion through my cocktail is what made them connect to it. My cocktail was beautiful and it looked like a sunset.”

Storytelling, she explained, is central to her approach to mixology.

“I like to find a story behind it. Once I find a story and flavours, it's trial and error.”

Then comes the most important part.

“Balance makes a great drink. I always say it's an Izzy cocktail when it tastes smooth, when you don't taste the alcohol and it sneaks up on you.”

A little spice for autumn

As Bermuda moves into autumn, Ms Bennett is already thinking about the ingredients she enjoys working with at this time of year.

“I'm a spice girl and I like to do a lot of syrups, so I like pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg. I have my own root beer syrup that's perfect for this time of year.”

For her, those familiar flavours have a place behind the bar as well as in the kitchen.

“I feel like spices are not just for cooking. You can put them in a drink as well.”

And for anyone hoping to impress guests with homemade cocktails this season, she has one simple piece of advice.

“Have fun with it. I feel like a lot of people want to make drinks and are strict. Bartending is fun. Be creative, be spontaneous. That one ingredient might make it taste so good.”

Following her Art of the Pour victory, Bennett hopes to continue building her profile as both a mixologist and a mentor.

“I have a lot of things that I want to pursue, especially seeing how much people liked my cocktail. Hopefully in the future people will see more of me. Not just bartending but also training. If people want to learn more from me, I'm open to that as well.”