David Robinson from Hot Tamale in the Northern Territory has been named at the national winner of Australia’s Patrón Perfectionists competition.
Featuring six regional winners from around the country, the finals were held this weekend at the Whitehart Container Bar in Melbourne. The finalists battled it out in front of the Patrón judging panel, which featured Chief Marketing Officer of Patrón Spirits International, Lee Applbaum, Global Mezcal Ambassador and tequila expert, Phil Bayly and Editor in Chief of GQ Australia, Nick Smith.
Robinson’s cocktail ‘The Last Frontier’ was inspired by his home town of Darwin with a South East Asian twist and had citrus and spice notes thanks to the use of fresh lime, smoked pineapple and ginger tepache.
Robinson was understandably delighted with the win, saying: “I am absolutely blown away, it’s an amazing feeling. I can’t wait to get to the Patrón Hacienda firstly to experience the Patrón brand but also to compete and see all other 17 cocktails from the other global finalists.”
Applbaum added: “We are proud to see the competition return on this scale, bringing new, up-and-coming talent to the bar with fresh ideas on what it takes to be a Patrón Perfectionist. The bartender community is a global community, brought together by a common pursuit for pure excellence in crafting drinks and delivering an experience for their guests. This year, as ever, the bar is raised and we are excited to discover mixologists who experiment with the flavour profiles and versatility of Patrón Tequila and who understand and share our values.”
This is the second year for the Patrón Perfectionists competition and Robinson will now have the opportunity to compete against 15 other national Patrón Perfectionists winners in the Global Finals in Mexico in January next year.
The Last Frontier cocktail recipe:
Ingredients:
- 50ml Patrón Reposado
- 15ml Patrón Citronge
- 3.5ml Campari
- 40ml smoked pineapple
- and ginger tepache
- 15ml fresh lime
Method:
Moisten the glass with a lime wedge. Roll the glass in a chipotle salt mix (chipotle, dehydrated orange, coco and salt). Garnish with a thin pineapple slice and pineapple leaves.
