By Deborah Jackson, Editor National Liquor News
Australia’s Dave Kerr has made it into the top eight of the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition, following the semi-final held in Berlin yesterday.
He will compete again tonight in the Global Final, up against Darren Miley from New Zealand, Ran Van Ongevalle from Belgium, Grace Tsai from Taiwan, Conor Myers from Ireland, Hideyuki Saito from Thailand, Loreta Toska from Greece and Kentaro Satoh from Japan.
Kerr of Melbourne’s The Beaufort & Ike’s was announced as the 2017 winner of the Bacardi Legacy Australia Cocktail Competition in February with his cocktail creation, The Viento.
Judges evaluate cocktails according to their name, inspiration, aroma, taste, appearance, ingenuity, innovation, refreshment, product knowledge, technical skills and presentation flair.
Kerr’s cocktail, The Viento, is the first Australian Legacy winning recipe to contain Bacardi Ocho, which is a new addition to the competition for 2017.
In Berlin, Kerr represented Australia up against 37 other competing nations during a week-long competition, which commenced on 18 May.
The week included five days in Berlin where competitors attended immersive workshops led by some of the industry’s finest, before presenting their own original interpretation of a modern Bacardi Legacy cocktail at last night’s Global Final.
“The Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition just keeps growing in stature and scale,” says Dickie Cullimore, Global Ambassador for Bacardi rum.
“It’s currently regarded within the industry as one of the most prestigious and authentic cocktail competitions.”
The year-long process competitors undertake, in which they develop and refine their cocktail, creatively promote it and then bring it to the world stage in the final, is underpinned throughout by the mentoring hand of the Bacardi Legacy ‘family’ of brand ambassadors and past competitors.
The 2015 winner, Frank Dedieu, was mentored by 2011 winner Marc Bonneton; while current world champion Gn Chan credits Shingo Gokan with teaching him everything he knew.
The competition is a combination of education, entertainment and engagement, through which not only the winner, but all the competitors, become part of the extended, informal ‘Gran Familia de Bacardi’.
Last year’s winner, Chan from the US, said: “Winning Bacardi Legacy has provided a great platform for me to reach the global bartending community. This past year, I have explored cocktail culture in more than twenty cities worldwide and worked with some of the world’s best and most passionate bartenders.
“Bacardi recently took me to meet their master blender, Joe Gomez, in their distillery in Puerto Rico, a man who, to me, truly embodies the spirit, passion and culture of Bacardi. The inspiration and motivation my winning year has given me is tremendous; I am very excited about taking the next steps in my career.”
To stay up-to-date with the latest from the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition, head to their Facebook page.
Dave Kerr’s The Viento Recipe:
Ingredients:
30ml Bacardí 8
20ml Bacardí Carta Blanca
10ml Coconut Oil
30ml Fresh Strawberry Juice
25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
15ml Agave Syrup
Method: Combine all ingredients in shaker before shaking hard for 10 seconds. Double strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish: Strawberry Head
