After hosting the global final of the 2019 Nikka Perfect Serve competition, at The Everleigh in Melbourne, Nikka has announced that Australia will be included as a regional competition destination in 2020.
This means that Australian bartenders will now have the opportunity to be part of this globally recognised competition, which likes to do things a bit differently.
But what exactly does that mean? Well, Nikka Perfect Serve encourages bartenders to place the guest at the heart of the bar experience, rather than ingredients or mixology. This is how the Japanese philosophy “ichi-go, ichi-e”, translated into English as “one chance, one encounter”, plays into the role of the competition.
To score highly, bartenders must be attentive and intuitive of their guest’s presence, state of mind and palate in order to offer the most suitable service and cocktail at that specific moment, this process is just as important as the cocktail itself.
This year was the 10th anniversary for the competition and was won by Asteris Psarras from BOHÈME, Greece.
Along with the prestigious prize, Asteris has been awarded a trip to Japan to experience the Japanese bar scene along with visits to all of Japan’s Nikka distilleries. Asteris was awarded the Nikka’s Perfect Serve prize after displaying a playful and cool nature to the judges throughout his presentation.
The runner-up prize was awarded to American bartender Jena Ellenwood from Dear Irving, New York, with her 15 years of experience showcasing an entertaining presentation using a unique selection of ingredients including Vegemite.
Nikka Perfect Serve Global Final judge Emiko Kaji said, “When I saw the impressive ingredient list from all of the bartenders, I knew this was going to be a great competition.”
The philosophy and concept behind Nikka Perfect Serve started in 2009 in Paris and was developed in collaboration with Nikka Whisky hospitality advocate Stanislav Vadrna. Since this time, global final competitions have been held in a different city every year including New York, Rome and Paris.
