Scholarship Serves: Carmella's Second Chance

What if the ingredient you were about to throw away could become the inspiration for your next cocktail?

As part of the Double Dutch Female Bartending Scholarship, each scholar is challenged to create and present a signature cocktail for graduation.

There are no rules requiring scholars to use Double Dutch products. Instead, they're given the creative freedom to choose the spirits, ingredients and flavours that best represent their ideas, experiences and journey through hospitality.

Next in our Scholarship Serves series is Carmella and her cocktail, Second Chance - a Blood Orange Vodka Sour inspired by sustainability, creativity and rediscovering her passion for hospitality.

Giving ingredients a second chance

Sustainability was at the heart of Carmella's idea from the beginning.

Rather than starting by buying an entirely new collection of ingredients, she looked at what was already available to her.

At work, blood orange purée was about to be poured down the sink. Instead of allowing it to go to waste, Carmella saw an opportunity to give it another purpose.

That blood orange became the starting point for Second Chance.

She complemented it with ingredients she already had at home, challenging herself to create something new from what was already around her.

It was this approach that initially inspired the cocktail's name: ingredients destined to be discarded were being given a second life.

Creating Second Chance

Carmella built her cocktail around the bold flavour and beautiful natural colour of blood orange.

Her final serve combines:

• ELLC Vodka

• Blood orange purée

• Triple sec

• Angostura bitters

• Egg white

• Nigella seeds

With blood orange and triple sec creating a citrus-forward base, Carmella introduced egg white to transform the texture of the drink.

The result is a velvety, smooth and lighter drinking experience that balances the citrus character of the cocktail.

But flavour wasn't Carmella's only consideration.

She wanted the vivid colour of the blood orange to become the main visual character of the serve.

A garnish with a purpose

For contrast, Carmella chose nigella seeds as her garnish.

The seeds were sourced from Jarr in Herne Hill, a small refill shop with a focus on sustainability, continuing the thinking behind the cocktail beyond the ingredients themselves.

Placed in a line through the centre of the drink, the dark seeds contrast against the vibrant blood orange colour and pale foam.

They aren't there simply for decoration, either.

Carmella wanted to introduce another dimension to the cocktail through their bitter, savoury character, creating a contrast between scent, mouthfeel and taste.

Every element had a reason for being there.

Why the name Second Chance means so much more

As Carmella developed the drink, its name began to represent something far bigger than reducing waste.

Her experience on the Female Bartending Scholarship inspired her to continue learning about drinks design and reconsider what she wanted from her journey within hospitality.

In Carmella's words, the scholarship gave her:

“A second chance to yearn for more.”

What began as a cocktail about giving overlooked ingredients another opportunity became a reflection of Carmella's own renewed curiosity.

A second chance to experiment.

A second chance to learn.

And a second chance to discover where hospitality could take her next.

Creativity doesn't always require more

Second Chance is a wonderful example of how limitations can become a source of creativity.

Instead of asking what she needed to buy, Carmella began by asking what she already had - and what could be saved.

The result is a cocktail where sustainability isn't simply part of the story added afterwards. It influenced the ingredients, the garnish, the creative process and ultimately the name itself.

That's exactly what Scholarship Serves is designed to celebrate.

Every scholar approaches the graduation challenge differently, bringing together the skills they've developed throughout the programme with their own experiences, personalities and ambitions.

For Carmella, that resulted in a cocktail about looking at what you already have with fresh eyes - including yourself.

Congratulations, Carmella. Here's to Second Chances and whatever comes next 💛

Discover the Double Dutch Female Bartending Scholarship

The Double Dutch Female Bartending Scholarship is designed to support women in hospitality through education, mentorship, practical experiences and opportunities to develop their confidence and careers.

If Carmella's story has inspired you to think about what's next in your own hospitality journey, discover more about the Double Dutch Female Bartending Scholarship and future applications https://doubledutchdrinks.com/pages/scholarship-application 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Double Dutch Female Bartending Scholarship?

The Double Dutch Female Bartending Scholarship is a mentoring and education programme designed to help women build confidence and develop their careers in hospitality.

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Why do scholars create a signature cocktail?

Each scholar creates and presents a signature cocktail to demonstrate everything they've learned throughout the programme, from flavour pairing to storytelling and presentation.

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Who can apply for the scholarship?

Applications open annually for women working within hospitality.

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What do scholars learn?

Topics include:

• Flavour development
• Cocktail creation
• Hospitality leadership
• Menu development
• Confidence
• Public speaking
• Career development

Every journey starts with one application. If you're ready to take the next step in your hospitality career, applications for the Double Dutch Female Bartending Scholarship are open now 💛