LEARN how to make the perfect cocktail with an experienced mixologist from Bulgaria.

Georgi Petrov moved to Blackburn 10 years ago, after meeting his wife on a cruise ship, now, the 45-year-old creates his own drinks and posts them on Instagram for everyone to follow his recipes.

With over 12,000 followers on the social media platform, Mr Petrov has become a household name for those wishing to taste unique cocktails.

One of the new winter drinks on his page include the black forest gateau, a drink based on the name, with monin dark chocolate syrup.

The mixologist said: “I was looking at Instagram, and saw that people were mixing cocktails and posting pictures.

I thought I could do it too and set up my own page last year in September. Things went crazy, I don’t know how or why, but I gained a lot of followers very quickly.

“When I create cocktails, I do not just want to create a pretty picture, I do my research and I will change things and I have made it, so anyone can follow the recipes.”

Mr Petrov runs his Instagram from a home bar, while also working at the Italian Orchard part time, and is a freelance graphic designer and photographer too.

Originally from Bulgaria, the cocktail maker was named in the top 100 bartenders of the UK by global alcohol business, Diageo.

The dad of two daughters, is also starting a documentary on YouTube, where he will travel to a Spanish distillery to film a series called Behind the Bottle.

He said: “Because nobody knows the people behind the products, so I want to tell their story.

“Lots of people drink sherry, but they don’t know where it comes from. I have been to Jerez and seen this first hand.”

Since starting his Instagram page in 2018, the mixologist has several businesses sending him drinks to try or asking him to take their product pictures.

He opened his own bar in 2004 in Bulgaria, but after years of training others, decided to do something different in 2006 and joined a cruise ship, where he met his wife from Blackburn.

But, he still misses his home as he thinks it was more social than in the UK.

He said: “In Bulgaria, we really like socialising, but find it difficult here because people are busy and do not go out as much.

“No matter how busy we are in Bulgaria, we go out to have a beer or even a coffee at least three or four times a month.

“In the future, I would love to open a bar in Blackburn, because there is no nightlife anymore, and I remember when I first came, there was everything here.”