Diageo Finds World Class Bartender

By Rebecca Harris

Diageo has crowned the winner of the World Class Bartender of the Year competition in Athens, Greece after a year-long global search that featured some of Australia's finest bartenders.

The winner, Erik Lorincz from The Connaught Bar at The Connaught, London, was found after an international competition that involved local cocktail tasks and challenges to select national representatives.

Erik Lorincz from The Connaught Bar at The Connaught, London

Twenty-three national representatives competed against Lorincz in the four-day long final, including Australian representative Adam Brewer from Sling Lounge, Brisbane.

Judged by international cocktail luminaries including Dale DeGroff, Salvatore Calabrese, Peter Dorelli, Gary Regan, Alberto Soria and Hidetsugu Ueno, it has been described as one of the leading global cocktail competitions.

“What's most impressive about Diageo World Class is how every aspect of the craft of bartending is tested by the challenges and judges. You need to be creative, thorough and skilled - it's daunting… These 21st Century bartenders are the pioneers of a new golden age of the craft,” said DeGroff.

More than 9000 bartenders globally entered the World Class competition, which was established to educate and encourage leading bartenders across the world.


 

[Mon 26/07/2010 01:42:38]