The Dubai Shopping Festival is renowned for creating exciting new competitions and it looks like the first DSF of the new millennium will be no exception. Bar tenders from across town will be asked to come up with a unique alcohol-free cocktail that will set alight the taste buds of Dubai during the month long shopping bonanza. The competition is the brainchild of Ronell Robson, who runs public relations and promotions at the Metropolitan Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. She hopes the competition will add a new dimension to the festival and encourage more hotels to be a part of it. "I think the competition captures the spirit of the Shopping Festival," said Ronell. "It gives all the local hotels an opportunity to compete against each other on a friendly level and the end result can be enjoyed by everyone." Each hotel will be asked to submit a cocktail and they will be put before a panel of judges who will eventually select the cocktail for the Dubai Shopping Festival. The alcohol-free beverage will then go on sale everywhere during March and the bar tender that comes up with the Ôdream' mix will win a trip to the UK to enjoy a course at a cocktail school. The panel of judges will be made up from a variety of backgrounds, including several hotel general managers and members from the local Arabic press. "We will hold four separate rounds during January at the Metropolitan Hotel, and then stage a grand final of five drinks before choosing the winning mix," added Ronell. A name for the drink will be chosen at the end of Ramadan but one thing is for certain, the competition is sure to become the toast of the Dubai Shopping Festival come March.
The Dubai Shopping Festival is renowned for creating exciting new competitions and it looks like the first DSF of the new millennium will be no exception. Bar tenders from across town will be asked to come up with a unique alcohol-free cocktail that will set alight the taste buds of Dubai during the month long shopping bonanza. The competition is the brainchild of Ronell Robson, who runs public relations and promotions at the Metropolitan Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. She hopes the competition will add a new dimension to the festival and encourage more hotels to be a part of it. "I think the competition captures the spirit of the Shopping Festival," said Ronell. "It gives all the local hotels an opportunity to compete against each other on a friendly level and the end result can be enjoyed by everyone." Each hotel will be asked to submit a cocktail and they will be put before a panel of judges who will eventually select the cocktail for the Dubai Shopping Festival. The alcohol-free beverage will then go on sale everywhere during March and the bar tender that comes up with the Ôdream' mix will win a trip to the UK to enjoy a course at a cocktail school. The panel of judges will be made up from a variety of backgrounds, including several hotel general managers and members from the local Arabic press. "We will hold four separate rounds during January at the Metropolitan Hotel, and then stage a grand final of five drinks before choosing the winning mix," added Ronell. A name for the drink will be chosen at the end of Ramadan but one thing is for certain, the competition is sure to become the toast of the Dubai Shopping Festival come March.