The regional finalists of the inaugural Brookie’s ReGINeration cocktail competition have been announced, with the winner of each regional final winning a trip to Cape Byron’s rainforest distillery where they will create their own bespoke Brookie’s gin.
The competition celebrates World Rainforest Day on 22 June and bartenders were challenged to create a signature Brookie’s cocktail inspired by the rainforest, aligning with Brookie’s Gin’s commitment to sustainability and the environment.
The competition received entries from bartenders across the nation, and the preliminary judges have selected the following bartenders to compete in the six regional finals:
Byron Bay Regional Final: May 22 at Casa Luna
- Will- Harvest Newrybar
- Fraser – Shorty’s
- Hamish- Moonlight
- Dario- Casa Luna
- Munro- Pixie
- Bianca-Casa Luna
Brisbane Regional Final: May 29 at Frog’s Hollow Saloon
- Nick Winter- Frog’s Hollow Saloon
- Loic Mouchelin- Sante Cocktail Bar
- Andie Bulley- Savile Row
- Richard Liu- Leonards Bar
- Gabby Zussino- Snack Man
- Melonie Thompson- Moonstruck Noosa
Gold Coast Regional Final: May 30 at Miss Moneypenny’s
- Rory Oberman- Tupe Aloha
- Nina North- The Exhibitionist Bar
- Andrea Canola- Miss Moneypenny’s
- Tom McEwan- Paloma Wine Bar
- Anastasia Laureckiene- Koi Restaurant
- Rumtin Nouzat- Fineprintco-artbar
Sydney Regional Final: June 5 at Dulcie’s Kings Cross
- Jae Yeol Choi- Chiswick Restaurant
- Rick Tose- The Koutetsu
- Natalie Winter – Dulcie’s
- Evan Brown- The Grounds
- Pauric Kennedy- Barangaroo House
- Joshua Metcalfe- Papa J’s Bar
- Jorge Porca- North Bondi Fish
Canberra Regional Final: June 6 at The Howling Moon
- Ben McCarthy – High Jinks
- Tyler Adams Brown – Knightsbridge Penthouse
- Zara Writer – Caribou Kingston
- Gonzalo Burgos – Locale Pizzeria
- Laney Grace – Black Cat Cocktails
- Kishen Saai Prabakara Rao – High Jinks
Melbourne Regional Final: June 19 at Lily Blacks
- Yuichi Hirayama- Black Kite Commune
- Savannah Stevens-18th Amendment Bar, Ballarat
- Ana Mitchell – 18th Amendment Bar, Geelong
- Greg Hookey- Ends and Means
- Louis Powlett- Renard Bar
- Riccardo Bortolin-Grill Americano
“We’re excited to see the creativity and innovation that the finalists will bring to the table,” says Matteo Barnett, marketing manager at Brookie’s Gin. “This competition has been amazing to showcase the versatility of Brookie’s spirits and to challenge the bartenders to think about the rainforest and native ingredients within their cocktail. The competition has been a huge success so far, with many talented bartenders submitting some epic drinks. The regional finals will be no exception – guests can expect to try some truly exceptional cocktails.”
Rainforests and sustainability are close to the distillery’s heart and the team has partnered with World Rainforest Day, whose mission is to recognise healthy forests as one of the most powerful and cost-effective climate change mitigation tools and creates a global movement to protect and restore them. Each regional final will be raising funds for the rainforest not for profit, “Reforst Now”, $5 = One rainforest tree planted through their program.
