The best bartenders from leading hotels and bars in Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui meet at Bangkok's Conrad Hotel on Friday to compete in the final round of Bacardi Martini Grand Prix Thailand Championship.

The competition runs from 1.30 to 4.30pm.

Contestants will be judged on their flair and style as well as the look and the taste of their cocktails by a panel of nine adjudicators made up of representatives from the beverage industry, restaurants and industry figures as well as past competition champions.

The annual competition aims to honour the best bartender as well as to enhance and expand the professional services of young bartenders. The winner gets a cash prize and will meet and compete with bartenders from around the world in the Bacardi Martini Grand Prix, which takes place next month in Turin, Italy.

Sake sensations

Sake has been brewed for centuries and is still a corner stone of many Japanese festivals and ceremonies. It also remains the centrepiece of contemporary social culture.

A fermented beverage made primarily from rice and water, the special techniques of each brewery and the selection of materials make each sake unique.

More than 200 different types of sake from all over the Land of the Rising Sun can be savoured at JW Marriott Bangkok's Sake Bar.

Try the Japanese national drink hot or cold or as a cocktail. And if you're not sure which to order, the bar's sommeliers will be happy to assist you pair a sake with menu items.

Call (02) 656 7709 for reservations. The Sake Bar is between Tsu and Nami restaurants in the lower lobby and is open daily for lunch from 11.30am to 2.30pm.

Starry spritzers

It doesn't matter whether you were born in January, February or November, the bartenders at the Royal Princess Srinakarin, Bangkok have just the drink for you.

They've created a series of 12 cocktails they call the Zodiacs, so just tell them your star sign and they'll whisk up that special potion.

Better still, order one and you get a free Quiche Lorraine, a tasty snack made primarily of eggs and cream in a pastry crust.

Call (02) 721 8400 for information.

The writer can be contacted at focusfood@nationgroup.com