Speed Rack, the all-female bartending competition that raises money for breast cancer research, will make its Australian debut when the first national finals are held in Sydney later this month.
The very first Speed Rack Australia National Finals competition will take place on Sunday 29 July from 3-7pm at Marble Bar in Sydney, with some of Australia’s top female bartending talent vying to take out the inaugural title.
Regional finals have already been held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to whittle down the competitors to just 16.
The contenders are:
- Alexia Vrignon – The Duke of Clarence; Sydney
- Alice Newport – Fat Angel Sports Bar; Brisbane
- Alissa Kate Gabriel – Mjølner; Sydney
- Anna Nguyen – Button Bar; Sydney
- Chelsea Lamperd – Beneath Driver Lane; Melbourne
- Christine Lam – The Barber Shop; Sydney
- Emma Crisp – Dominion League; Perth
- Jemima McDonald – Earl’s Juke Joint; Sydney
- Jenna Hemsworth – Restaurant Hubert; Sydney
- Maeva Bodenan – Beneath Driver Lane; Melbourne
- Millie Tang – The Gresham; Brisbane
- Pip Raward – Howlin’ Wolf; Wollongong
- Priscilla Leong – The Baxter Inn; Sydney
- Shay Chamberlain – The Black Pearl; Melbourne
- Shenai Jones – The 18th Amendment Bar; Geelong
- Shirley Yeung – Clarences; Perth
Speed Rack was created by acclaimed US bartenders and industry ambassadors Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix (pictured above).
The first nationwide competition in the US designed to highlight up-and-coming women in the cocktail industry, Speed Rack taps top female bartenders and puts them head-to-head in timed challenges.
The competition also gives back to those impacted by breast cancer; to date, Speed Rack has raised more than $850,000 for charities supporting breast cancer research.
