THE BIN CHICKEN COMPETITION

THE BIN CHICKEN

CHAMPIONSHIP 2019

THE HUMBLE IBIS IS AN UNSUNG HERO OF SUSTAINABILITY, REPURPOSING SCRAPS AND WASTE LONG BEFORE IT WAS COOL OR HIP, MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE ONE BIN AT A TIME.

WORDS BY BRENDAN GREY (WA – THE EXCHANGE, AMBASSADOR)

In conjunction with The Exchange the bar team at Mechanics Institute hosted The Bin Chicken Championship: an initiative to showcase how the best in the west can make zero waste drinks that are ridiculously delicious. Bar teams from Tiny’s, Long Chim and Who’s Your Mumma joined the crew from Mechanics Institute behind the stick for an hour each to showcase the latest in sustainable practices in the bar with an extra challenge. Each bar team was given a mystery box ingredient the week beforehand that they had to incorporate into their drink one way or another.

Have a look at what these beautiful cats put together…

WHO WON/JUICY TIMES

There were no winners or losers! Each team got a handcrafted trophy made from random broken bar gear, a sweet new outfit from the local op shop stencilled with the BCC logo and a chance to showcase some weird new ideas around sustainability and repurposing waste products. These techniques have since been implemented into each bars operation systems. If you ask nicely, they’ll even make you their signature BCC cocktail.

Everyone was in full swing with punters volunteering to get their clothes (and in one case body) stencilled with the BCC logo.

The Mechanics Institute sanctioned the light vandalism that occurred.

Cocktail:

SHELL SHOCKED

Name of Competitor: Long Chim Bar Team - Dean Buchanan, Kaden Pool, Savanna McDonald

Mystery Box Ingredient:

Egg shells

RECIPE:

Glassware: Nick & Nora Garnish: Five spice oil with Kaffir lime distillate spray

Ingredients:

60ml Eggshell infused ROKU Gin* 10ml Strawberry Gum Fiano 5ml Dry Vermouth *To infuse the eggshells into your spirit boil then cook your eggshells until crisp, grind into a powder and sous-vide with your spirit. The Calcium Carbonate in the eggshells acts as an alkaline flavour to counterbalance the acidic Fiano wine. Method: Stir and strain

Cocktail:

THIS IS HOW YOU GET ANTS

Name of Competitor: Mechanics Institute - Mark White, Claudia Morgan, Charlotte MacMaster

Mystery Box Ingredient:

Celery leaf

RECIPE:

Glassware: Rocks / Old Fashioned Garnish: Celery Oil rested on block ice and Ants on a log (celery stick with peanut butter and sultanas)

Ingredients:

45ml Peanut Butter washed Jim Beam Black Label 5ml Port and Pedro Ximenez blend 5ml Salted Demerara Syrup Repurposed celery leaf oil Method: Stir down and pour over block ice resting the repurposed celery leaf oil on top

Cocktail:

ALL THE SMALL THINGS

Name of Competitor: Tiny’s - James Pennefather, Lachlan Robinson, Sarah Woolhouse

Mystery Box Ingredient:

Egg yolks

RECIPE:

Glassware: Fizz Garnish: 3 x drops of Aromatic bitters

Ingredients:

30ml Jim Beam Black Label 3 x Bps. Sumac and preserved lemon curd (made using leftover egg yolks and preserved lemon husks) 2 x Bps. Vanilla ice cream 20ml Egg whites 20ml Acidic Riesling 10ml Amaretto Top with Soda

Method:

Combine ingredients in a NutriBullet or comparable blender, add three cubes of Hoshizaki ice and blend until the ice has incorporated. Pour into a chilled fizz glass and allow to settle before topping with soda.

Cocktail:

OVER USED PICK UP LIMES

Name of Competitor:

Who’s Your Mumma- Jody Carmichael, Angus Neale

Mystery Box Ingredient:

Mint stalks and lime husks

RECIPE:

Glassware: Coupette Garnish: Mint lime crusta (made from combined and dehydrated lime husk zest and mint/ mint stalks)

Ingredients:

45ml Jim Beam Black Label 20ml Vanilla syrup Fresh Strawberries and lime cordial (created from a lime husk stock). Method: Stir down ingredients and strain into crusted Coupette glass

CHARACTER

TAKES TIME.