Recap of competitions in 2018/19

AUSSIES WIN LICOR 43 BARTENDER AND BARISTA GLOBAL CHALLENGE

Australian duo, Mille Tang and Jessie Williamson, were crowned the global champion’s of the LICOR 43’s BARTENDERS & BARISTAS CHALLENGE grand final held in the Gran Canarias last month.

Over three days of cocktail and coffee making contests and challenges, teams from 12 countries battled it out at the global final for the ultimate prize.

The 26 grand finalists from Europe, Australia, and Russia were joined by a further two professionals, one from each speciality area, chosen from the European Bartender School (EBS) network worldwide.

The judging panel comprised of cocktail and coffee gurus Simon Difford and Merijn Gijsbers, as well as coffee consultant and educator, Timon Kaufmann.

The winning cocktail, Island Hopper, was created by none other than our own home-grown Millie Tang, bartender at The Gresham Bar in Brisbane and barista Jessie Williamson from Blackout Paddington and Black Lab Coffee Brisbane.

Island Hopper

ISLAND HOPPER Ingredients:

• 20ml Licor 43 Original • 20ml Espresso coffee (Platinum blend by the

Black Lab Coffee Co) • 15ml Coconut & pandan syrup (pandan infused Coco Lopez) • 10ml Fernet-Branca • 1 x Dash Angostura Bitters • Top with a splash of cava (10ml) • Garnish with grated nutmeg

It’s the second year Licor 43 has called on bartenders and baristas to team up for the Challenge. The world’s fastest-growing premium liqueur* has also just announced its three-year partnership with the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship (WCIGS), cementing the brand’s vision to be the reference liqueur of choice in coffee and cocktail mixology globally.

Why coffee? Licor 43 and coffee combine perfectly thanks to their similar and complementary tasting notes and offer a wide range of tasting experiences. Any types of coffee and any methods of extraction when combined with Licor 43 extract different level of aromas, from sweet, botanic to citric and floral. A key serve in this combination which is mixed easily at home or in a bar is the Carajillo 43 (cara-hih-yoo). Simply combine 30ml Licor 43 with 30ml espresso over ice and enjoy!

Licor 43 Original, launched in 1946, is made from a secret family recipe of 43 natural ingredients including selected Mediterranean citrus fruits and botanicals.

“Licor 43 and coffee have long worked well together. Now, in an age where heritage and provenance are paramount, we are digging deep into all the different ways this can be expressed,” says Licor 43’s Global Marketing & Innovation Director Julian Fernandez.

“Gran Canaria is home to the plantation we source coffee for our Baristo expression from, so it was the obvious choice of venue for this grand final trip designed to immerse candidates in all things Licor 43 and coffee.”

Licor 43 Baristo is made with a Canary Island coffee so singular that its mere existence is extraordinary. Licor 43 Baristo is exclusively available in Australia through Heinemann Duty Free retail.

Judge Simon Difford said: “This competition stands apart from other cocktail competitions as it brings together professionals with complementary skill sets to collaborate, learn from, and inspire each other”. He continued,

“It’s been fascinating to see how bartenders and baristas use their combined knowledge to create coffee cocktails within the constraints of three different creative challenges held in settings as diverse as a coffee plantation to a 19th-century market place. The competition allowed personalities to shine while bringing 26 professionals from 12 different countries together to share and demonstrate techniques to each other as well as the privileged judges. Congratulations to Millie and Jessie, and everyone who took part.”

Runners-up from Denmark and Spain also impressed the judges with their ‘The Companion’ and ‘Esfera’ cocktails.

Jessie Williamson & Millie Tang

THE COMPANION Ingredients:

• 45ml Licor 43 Original • 45ml Manzanilla Sherry infused with coffee

ESFERA Ingredients:

• 30ml Matusalem Añejo • 20ml Licor 43 Baristo • 10ml Licor 43 Original • 50ml Dry tomato syrup • 50ml Ethiopian coffee and coffee husk • 20ml Fresh lemon juice

Next year will see the third instalment of Licor 43’s Bartender & Barista Challenge, giving Aussies the opportunity to represent the country on a global scale. For the latest Licor 43 and competition updates as well as recipes, make sure to join the Licor 43 Australian Facebook community and the Spirits Platform subscription list.

Links: facebook.com/Licor43AUS spiritsplatform.com.au/new-subscribers/

Recap of COCKTAIL COMPETITIONS

in 2019

There are many cocktails competitions held throughout Australia each year, and the challenges and requirements push the boundaries and imaginations for those who enter. Being able to make a drink behind the bar in your comfort zone on a busy night may be a part of your routine; however, stepping on the competition stage is a whole new ball game. Presenting your drink to a judging panel, keeping the hand steady, and your pour accurate, all while engaging the audience, can be scary. We take our proverbial hats off to the brave warriors who take to the stage and get amongst it. You are all winners (so they say), but in reality, there can be only one. Here we take a look back at the competitions that took place this year, who won and went on to represent Australia on the global stage. Competitions are tough, require a lot of time and commitment above and beyond the hours you’re already committing to your venue. But the rewards are irreplaceable. By gaining industry experience, making life long friends, and building your profile, you can cement your place in the industry and build the career you dream of.

Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge 2019 Winner Rohan Massie with his cocktail Doctor’s Orders

ANGOSTURA GLOBAL COCKTAIL CHALLENGE

This September Rohan Massie of Rude Boy, Hobart, was titled the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge champion. As part of the competition prize, Rohan took home AU$10,000 as well as a year’s contract as the Oceania Angostura Brand Ambassador. Rohan heads over to Trinidad & Tobago in 2020 to compete in the global finals.

DOCTOR’S ORDERS Ingredients:

• 50ml Angostura 5-Year-Old Rum • 20ml Strawberry cordial • 40ml Mandarin juice • 30ml Coconut milk • 5ml Fresh lime juice • 10 x Basil leaves • 2 x Dashes Angostura Orange Bitters Garnish: Freeze-dried mandarin segments and fresh basil leaves Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker, short shake over cubes, double strain over pebble ice Glassware: Pearl diver glass

BACARDÍ LEGACY AUSTRALIA COCKTAIL COMPETITION

Jenna Hemsworth, from Swillhouse Group, was crowned the winner of the BACARDÍ Legacy Australia Cocktail Competition 2018/19. The finals of the competition were held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, where hospitality royalty gathered to watch the final four bartenders shake, strain, stir and promote their drink. Jenna headed over to Amsterdam in May and competed on the global stage, against 42 world-leading bartenders. Jenna did an incredible job and made it through to the top 16 with her award-winning cocktail The Monarch.

Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn from Bangkok, Thailand, took out the global title. Ronnaporn co-owns Backstage Cocktail Bar and impressed the judges with his cocktail ‘The Pink Me Up’, a cocktail designed to be enjoyed over brunch.

THE MONARCH Ingredients:

• 45ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca • 15ml Dom Benedictine • 30ml Mandarin juice • 20ml Fresh lime juice • Peel of one mandarin • 8 x Basil leaves Method: Shake all ingredients hard to infuse the peel and release the basil oils properly. Double strain and garnish with a young basil sprig Glassware: Coupette

GIN MARE COCKTAIL COMPETITION

Now in its 8th year, Gin Mare Mediterranean Gin invited seven finalists from around the world to compete on the party island of Ibiza. The competition was hosted at the brand’s very own ‘Villa Mare,’ which has stunning views overlooking the Mediterranean, making it the perfect backdrop for the finals. The finalists were challenged to craft a gastrobartender drink based on bergamot as a representative ingredient of Mediterranean food culture. Bacardí Legacy Australia 2019 winner Jenna Hemsworth

Gin Mare Cocktail Competition 2019 winner Chau Tan Below: Chau Tan’s cocktail Fluffy Emu

Chau Tran of Burrow Bar Australia won over the judges with her Fluffy Emu cocktail, which was her rendition of the shoey - traditionally a celebratory drink out of a shoe.

FLUFFY EMU Ingredients:

• 45ml Gin Mare • 50ml or 45g curd (in this curd there is Lacto ferment finger lime and wild honey distillate and bergamot oleo) • 30ml Seville orange juice – sweet oranges • Top with sparkling Australian wine Method: Shake strain into a tin. Top with wine and spritz with Earl Grey elixir

Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition 2019 winner Anneliese Grazioli with her cocktail Over & Above

The Blend 2019 winners: Left: Max Giudice Right: Tim Laferla

The Vero Bartender 2019 winner Adam Lau with his cocktail Te Nero

PATRÓN PERFECTIONISTS COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2019

Anneliese Grazioli from Hot Tamale in Darwin was announced this years winner of the Australian and New Zealand Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition. Anneliese won over judges with her cocktail, ‘Over & Above’, that was based off a Manhattan with a twist. She will now head to Mexico in January 2020 to represent Australia on the global stage. Annaliese competed the night after the T25 Bartenders Party in Sydney, making it a huge week for one of Australia’s rising stars.

OVER & ABOVE Ingredients:

• 40ml Patrón Anejo Tequila • 25ml Mango skin vermouth • 10ml Patrón Citrónge Mango • 3 x Dash Martini bitter • Lemon myrtle olive oil Garnish: 1 drop of lemon myrtle olive oil Method: Add all ingredients except for the oil into a mixing glass over ice. Stir for 14-16 stirs. Strain into a frozen Nick & Nora glass Glassware: Nick & Nora

THE BLEND

Professional and Apprentice Winners The Blend received an impressive 400 entries into the 2019 competition, which saw 92 regional finalists shortlisted across Australia and New Zealand. The competition took to the road late February 2019, completing a lap of the country, including our neighbours in NZ, where they hosted the regional finals, picking up a winner in both the Professional and Apprentice categories at each event. This year the finals and grand final were hosted in Bali over five days, where a winner from each group was announced.

Winners of the Blend for 2019 were Tim Laferla from Scout Sydney, took out the Professional category, while Max Giudice from Tiny’s, took home the major prize for the Apprentice category.

THE VERO BARTENDER

Adam Lau from Grain of the Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney, was crowned the winner of The Vero Bartender Australia. This was Adams’s first professional cocktail competition and was thrilled to have won. Adam headed over to Milan and competed in the global finals.

TE NERO Ingredients:

• 45ml Amaro Montenegro • 15ml Pilla Select Aperitivo • 15ml Fresh orange juice • 15ml Fresh lemon juice • 15ml Earl Grey Tea Syrup Garnish: Candied lemon zest. Boil lemon zest for 15 minutes to soften the zest, strain and toss the lemon zest with fine sugar. Method: Add all ingredients to your Soda Stream and add 35 per cent dilution (water) to add to the carbonation. Build in a wine glass rimmed with powdered orange* and a candied lemon zest garnish Glassware: Wine glass

*Powdered Orange

• Dehydrate and powderise leftover orange after juicing

DIAGEO WORLD CLASS

Alex Boon of Mjølner Melbourne was crowned the Diageo Reserve World Class title for Australia. This is the 4th time Boon has entered the highly acclaimed competition and won due to his unique flair, passion and creativity during the event. Competing on the global stage in September Boon battled it out against 53 worldleading bartenders in London. 2019 was a massive year for Alex Boon, also taking out first place in the T25 Bartenders Awards, confirming his position at the top of the bartending tree.

Taking the World Class title for 2019 was Bannie King from Antidotein Singapore. Next year World Class global final will be on our home turf in Sydney.