FEATURE: DIAGEO WORLD CLASS

Going global

Jake Down on his bid to take home the crown at the Diageo World Class global finals.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros

JAKE DOWN IS a name synonymous with the Sydney bar scene. The drinks professional has worked in the sector for more than 10 years, completing stints at This Must Be The Place, Re, and now Pleasure Club. Down is no stranger to Diageo World Class, having entered the competition in previous years. But 2024 turned out to be thirdtime lucky for Down, who took home the title of Australia’s Best Bartender and the honour of representing the local bar industry at the global finals in Shanghai.

Down speaks to Hospitality about espresso martinis, participating in the regional finals, and why cocktail competitions are an invaluable experience for bartenders looking to level up.

Six finalists participated in the Australian finals of World Class back in May. Jake Down was joined by James Irvine (Merivale, Sydney); Matt Bodycote (State Buildings, Perth); Rohan Massie (Rude Boy, Hobart); Shirley Yeung (Foxtrot Hospitality Group, Perth); and Tom Opie (The Waratah, Sydney). As you can tell, the competition attracts talent who are at the top of their game, which begs the question — why enter in the first place? The answer is multipronged: “There’s a good pedigree, which you can tell by the people who enter and win which is quite inspiring,” says Down. “It’s also a great way to challenge yourself and try new ideas and techniques you’ve had in the back of your mind. This is the Golden Globes or the World Cup of cocktail competitions — there’s a lot of mentorship and personal growth that comes from it.”

The regional final unfolded over three rounds in Sydney — Malt Maximalism, Paint the Town Ruby, and Check On! This year also marked the introduction of a new category — The Bartender’s Bartender — an award given to the finalist who embodied the spirit of the competition; a ripe addition as World Class celebrates its 15th anniversary.

Finalists were informed about the challenges a few weeks in advance, but not all was revealed. “We had time to come up with ideas and work with elements such as Tanqueray 10, Johnnie Walker, and Ketel One,” says Down. “My partner helped me build out a plan which had colour-coded days that were dedicated to certain things, which really helped me step back and see the whole picture because it can be quite overwhelming — there’s a lot of work and time that goes into it while you’re still doing your full-time job.”

Malt Maximalism proved to be the most difficult part of the final for Down, which required finalists to showcase their creativity and expertise via Johnnie Walker, Talisker, and The Singleton. “The drinks scene has been minimalist for so long, so this was about changing wavelengths and seeing how you could maximise flavour and presentation without being too naff,” he says. “There had to be a reason behind everything you did, so for me, it was the challenge I had to put the most work into.”

Paint the Town Ruby was won by Down and required competitors to use Johnnie Walker Black Ruby, before bartenders moved onto the final part of the competition, the Check On! Challenge. Bartenders were tasked with creating six cocktails which were selected at random from a pool of 21 options. “It was essentially a speed round in a bar situation where a docket was printed that showed you the six drinks you had to make,” says Down. “I made three espresso martinis with Mr Black and Ketel One, and you had to showcase things like the measurements, technique, how much ice, shake time, and straining. I have made a few of them in my bartending career

• Diageo World Class is in its 15th year

• Dockets in the Check On! round printed cocktails at random

• The global finals are held in Shanghai

• Down made three espresso martinis