Young bartenders shaking up China's maturing cocktail scene

Bartenders have prepared all kinds of cocktails with good aroma and taste, combined with Western and Asian elements. Photo provided to China Daily

Xie, who finished in the top three at last year's global finals, says it's important for contestants to be able to speak English so they can communicate with other bartenders.

"It's true that there are more males than females in the industry, but I don't see many differences. The only thing women need to pay attention to is one may feel uncomfortable and tired during menstruation," Chen says.

According to Dean McHugh, managing director of Greater China, Bacardi Asia Pacific Limited, the inclusion of females in the cocktail industry is becoming more commonplace. Men like to create strong drinks, while women tend to make both strong and sweet drinks because they are a bit more balanced and creative about ingredients, McHugh says.

"If you can represent for your consumers, you will probably do a good job. Nearly 50 percent of the consumers are females, why wouldn't you include females in the creation of cocktails? " says Jon Grey, regional president of Bacardi Asia Pacific.

"A woman would understand what another woman wants for a cocktail better than a guy. Having a guy making all the cocktails can't be the best thing."