Last night the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition’s Australian final took place in South Melbourne, with Adam Dow coming out victorious and named the country’s champion.
Dow, from Sydney’s Dead Ringer, battled against Natalie Ng from Door Knock Sydney and Mikey Braun from Bodriggy Brewing Co in Melbourne. They were judged not only on the ingredients and methods used in the drink, but also the presentation and promotion of the drink to the public.
Bacardi Brand Ambassador Loy Catada said it was a great competition and all of the finalists performed exceptionally.
“Seeing our three competitors going head to head under such high pressure is truly inspiring,” Catada said.
“Their enthusiasm for creating a legacy of their own shone brightly, and the judges had their work cut out for them picking a winner.”
In the end, the judges were won over by Dow’s slick presentations skills and the delicious flavour of his drink called The Golden Rule. A combination of Bacardi Carta Blanca, citrus, honey, bitters and rosewater, it’s inspired by the old age rule to treat others as you’d wish to be treated.
Dow will now go to Miami in May to represent Australia in the global final of Bacardi Legacy against the best bartenders from 41 countries around the world. Along with a range of prizes won, Dow’s cocktail will also be featured at select bars around the country from March.
He joins the list of Australian winners of years past, including Fred Siggins, Alissa Gabriel, Andrew Bennett, Dave Kerr, James Irvine and Jenna Hemsworth, who were all on hand at last night’s event mixing their own Legacy cocktails.
The Australian final also held further significance, with the day coinciding with Bacardi’s 158th anniversary and Founders Day, a time when they celebrate the legacy and journey of the Bacardi family.
Bacardi’s Legacy competition is centred on this celebration of history, with the aim for competitors to create their own cocktail legacy that will stand the test of time.
As well as the Legacy competition, Bacardi are this week celebrating their history with their third iteration of ‘Back to the Bar,’ a global company initiative that will take place tomorrow. Seven thousand Bacardi employees will visit bars in more than 100 cities, to do what their founder believed in – building brands from the bar not the boardroom.
Bacardi Limited CEO, Mahesh Madhavan, said: “Back to the Bar tradition is a time when everyone across the company, regardless of day job, becomes an ambassador and a researcher by going back to where our business is made – the local bars and restaurants.”
“We are in the relationship business and I never miss an opportunity to talk to a bartender or our consumers to learn what they’re seeing and what they think will be the next big thing.”