Jack McGarry from the city's Apartment Bar beat off tough competition from the province's best shakers, crushers and stirrers as they showed off their top moves at Belfast's Botanic Inn this week.

At just 18 years old he has only been perfecting his cocktail making skills for a few years but clearly has a natural talent, backed up by constant cocktail researching that also helped him scoop the Bartender of the Year title a few months ago.

The 18-year-old won over the judges in this latest prestigious competition by combining his choice of ingredients with careful pouring skill and panache to create a colourful winning cocktail called "The Bercy Sidecar ".

The winning drink was a twist on the original Sidecar cocktail that contains brandy or Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice, served in a sugar-rimmed glass and garnished with a strip of lemon rind.

And he is set to mix it up with the best in the world as the stakes get even higher at the World Championships where the judges will be looking for added measures of flair and adventure.

As winner of the Ireland heat, Jack received £500 and will be flown out, along with the runner-up, to Bordeaux to represent Ireland in the World Championships on December 10-11, when he will compete alongside 130 other bartenders from 27 other countries.