Following on from last month’s unveiling of the Top 100, Diageo has revealed the Top 20 Australian finalists in its annual World Class bartending competition.
So far, the 2019 Australian competition has seen bartenders around the country create a cocktail using spirits from Diageo’s reserve portfolio: Ketel One Vodka, Tanqueray No. 10 Gin, and Talisker 10-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky.
The Top 100 have now been whittled down to the Top 20, after introducing the cocktail to their bar’s menu and judged on quality, presentation, service and how they promoted the cocktail to their clientele.
This year’s Top 20 reflects the spread of bartending talent emerging across the country – with just under half of the list from Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart – in addition to the hospitality hotbeds of Sydney and Melbourne, which represent 11 of the bartenders on the list.
The Top 20 also reflects how food is intrinsically linked to our drinks culture, with several bartenders from esteemed restaurants featured.
“World Class is a phenomenal cocktail competition that each year reaffirms just how impressive our bar industry is,” says Krystal Hart, Australia’s World Class Ambassador.
“The challenges are designed to not only test how the bartenders use the reserve brands to experiment with flavour and balance, but also how they showcase their personality and story behind their serve.
“Our Top 20 fought a fierce competition, proving to be inspiring and innovative cocktail leaders, and we cannot wait to see what they have in store for the Australian finals next month”.
The Top 20 will now compete in the Australian finals in July, before the winner represents the country in the global finals held in Glasgow later this year – in the hope of following in the footsteps of last year’s overall winner, Orlando Marzo (pictured above).
Diageo World Class Top 20 Australian Bartenders 2019
- Alex Boon – Mjølner, Melbourne
- Alex Gondzioulis – Bulletin Place, Sydney
- Antonello Arzedi – Scout, Sydney
- Darren Leaney – Capitano, Melbourne
- Dean Buchanan – Long Chim, Perth
- Ellery Low – Maker, Brisbane
- Elliot Pascoe – Death & Taxes, Brisbane
- Evan Stroeve – Bulletin Place, Sydney
- Joseph Chisholm – Boom Boom Room, Brisbane
- Joshua Reynolds – Scout, Sydney
- Jim Sauerbier – Boilermaker House, Melbourne
- Kaden Pool – Long Chim, Perth
- Kayla Grigoriou – Bar Torino, Adelaide
- Lachlan Gunner – Grandma’s, Sydney
- Mark White – Mechanics’ Institute, Perth
- Nick Tesar – Bar Liberty, Melbourne
- Rohan Massie – Rude Boy, Hobart
- Samuel Tripet – Death & Taxes, Brisbane
- Stefano Canova – Eau de Vie, Melbourne
- Wei Christine Lam – Employees Only, Sydney
