Sunday May 20th saw a tough competition at the Blue Diamond bar in Melbourne as nine bartenders competed in the Winter Semi Finals of Diageo's World Class Cocktail Competition, creating some truly amazing concoctions to shake off the cold.
Categories in the competition included Gentleman's Cocktail, Hot Cocktail and Dessert Serve, featuring Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Johnnie Walker Gold Label and Ron Zacapa 23 rum. Guests were invited to taste all nine cocktails and give their vote as part of the competition in each category to the bartender they thought did best.
Ultimately Joel Persson from the Alchemist took home the prize for the Best Gentleman's cocktail with his liquid gold creation 'Magnum Opus' using a mixture of Ron Zacapa rum, Brandy, agave nectar and Pedro Ximénez Sherry. Angus Burton from Canvas came first in the Hot Cocktail category with his blazed and deliciously comforting Don Julio Reposado tequila based cocktail that he served together with chocolate coated roasted coconut. Chris Hysted from the The Attic put a creative twist on the Espresso Martini by combining Ron Zacapa rum with banana, cane sugar, guatemalan coffee, dark chocolate and some flamed orange peels!
The winning bartenders will join the rest of the finalists at the World Class National Final in Sydney from June 11-13, and the overall winner will be sent to Rio de Janeiro to represent Australia in the World Class Global Finals in July.
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