Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - According to Karat vodka marketing manager Alejandra Gallegos, Puerto Vallarta will host the first semi-final round of the Karat Vodka Bartenders Tournament, with bartenders from all over Mexico participating, at a cocktail party hosted by La Madrileña on May 22.

The event will feature Ludwig Estrada, regional director of Tourism and Bernhard Güth, founder of Sandzibar, Vitea and Trio restaurants. Both will serve as judges in the elimination round, accompanied by Arturo Rojas and Paul Von Bertrab.

Madrileña, a Mexican company founded more than 100 years, and today positioned as one of the producers and distributors of wines and spirits in Mexico, announced the realization of the sixth edition of Karat Vodka Bartender Tournament MX/2013.

The event is considered as the only launching pad that exists for bartenders in Mexico and, as a result, more than 700 bartenders from major consumption centers in the country have participated in the past 3 years. In that time, the competition has generated around 600 recipes and has encouraged originality, variety and diversity within the world of mixology.

"The Karat Vodka Bartender Tournament MX/2013 was born with the idea of being a platform to promote the recognition of bartenders in Mexico, as well as adding more and more experts behind the bar to create colors, flavors and new experiences, thus contributing to the professionalization of the sector," explained Gallegos.

"This year," she said, "the bartenders will compete in two different techniques: mixology and molecular mixology. It is the first time that the latter has been presented in the competition, and consists of creating an original cocktail that stirs the senses, an excellent presentation of style, flavor, aroma, textures and visual effects that this technique demands."

With the first technique, the contestants must create a cocktail of his own composition. All of the cocktails will be analyzed and evaluated by a qualified jury in the art of mixology, which this year includes bartender Arturo Rojas and chef Paul Von Bertrab. In addition, a local judge from each city will also vote for the winner.

The Bartender Tournament MX/2013 will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta, at the National Auditorium Lunario in Mexico City, and at the Hard Rock Hotel Cancun in May, June and July, respectively. The final will be held on July 12 in Cancun.