Beefeater MIXLDN

Beefeater MIXLDN GLOBAL CHAMPION

Timothy Ching from Hong Kong claimed the Beefeater MIXLDN 6 Global cocktail competition, beating out seven other finalists from all four corners of the globe to take home the title. Timothy faced three days of competition, with his “Please Sir I Want More” cocktail impressing judges and being awarded best in class at the Grand Finale, held at the Bike Shed in Shoreditch, East London.

Selecting the finalists to compete in the Grand Finale was no easy task. Bartenders from over 30 countries were invited to submit a Beefeater cocktail recipe to the Beefeater MIXLDN website and from that were chosen to compete in National Finals. A bartender from each market was then selected to compete in the Global Final, to form the top eight battled it out for the top honour.

For the MIXLDN competition, bartenders were faced with a number of challenges including creating an innovative cocktail within the framework of the competition’s theme, “Inspired by London, Directed by You” – with each drink taking inspiration from the very best of British cinema. The esteemed judging panel featured Beefeater master distiller Desmond Payne, MIXLDN 2015 Global Champion, Evelyn Chick, editor of The Cocktail Lovers, Sandrae Lawrence, and Nathan O’Neill, head bartender at Nomad NY.

In addition to the major prize, two other prizes were awarded; one for the Signature Drink round and the Secret Challenge. Emil Hed of Sweden took out the Signature Drink round, where bartenders were tasked with creating a drink inspired by a movie set in London. The winner of the Secret Challenge, which required finalists to create a drink in 30 minutes was Jin Hwan Kim of South Korea.

Beefeater Master Distiller Desmond Payne was on hand to announce the winner and present the trophy to Timothy, who was ecstatic with the win saying, “I can’t believe I have won. It’s still not properly sunk in! The calibre of competition was exceptionally high – with each cocktail more innovative and creative than the last and each paying heed to the theme of the competition whilst ensuring the unique and distinctive flavours of the Beefeater Gin came through front and centre.”

“My concoction, ‘Please Sir I Want Some More’, was inspired by Oliver Twist – taking inspiration from the iconic scene in the book in which Oliver asks the master of the work house for another helping with the iconic line ‘Please, sir, I want some more’. This take on one of my favourite moments of London cinema, taking inspiration from the silver screen when it comes to a gin cocktail – one is never enough”

The Beefeater MIXLDN competition has continued to grow among the industry’s elite, and saw bartenders push their creativity and presenting skills in the series of challenges. For the Grand Finale, bartenders were challenged to make their cocktail for those in attendance, with guests voting for their favourite cocktail.

Desmond Payne, Beefeater’s master distiller said, “It has been a hard-fought competition to get here and now, having beat all in attendance at this year’s final, we are delighted to award Timothy Ching the title of Global Champion of MIXLDN 6. Bringing together an overwhelmingly talented and passionate group from the international on-trade community, it has been a privilege to watch these bartenders battle behind the bar.”

Timothy Ching takes home not only the title of Beefeater MIXLDN Global Champion but also gets the chance, for the first time ever in the competition’s history, to craft his very own limited edition Beefeater gin with master distiller Desmond Payne at the Beefeater distillery in Kennington.

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