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POSTED: 20 OCTOBER 2011

Esensual SeaDream

For Portuguese-born Manuel Duarte, chief bartender on luxury motorcruiser SeaDream I, the absolute essential of his craft is to totally involve himself in the task of providing guests with an individual and memorable experience.

"It's not just about making a great drink, though that's obviously critical" he says.

"It's also about entertainment and totally immersing yourself in a special relationship with the customer."

Manuel has spent his entire working life as a bartender, initially in hotels in his southern Portuguese homeland and more recently on the water.

With SeaDream he reckons he has found the ideal environment for expressing his passion for bar work.

"We really do see ourselves as a family and we take enormous pleasure in introducing our guests into that family," he says.

"It's a demanding job, but also just so, so rewarding."

Manuel has designed Esensual SeaDream as a refreshing long drink ideally suited to enjoying by the pool or while sitting at The Top of the Yacht Bar.

METHOD

Place plenty of crushed ice into a tall glass.

Add 20ml each of vodka, Midori and triple sec, and 40ml of sweet-and-sour mix*.

Fill to top with pineapple juice and stir. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple and a maraschino cherry.

*Sweet-and-sour mix is made by combining freshly squeezed lemon juice with sugar, then diluting 50-50 with water.

Manuel Duarte ... a very obvious passion for bar work. Images: SANDRA BURN WHITE