By Sacha Delfosse
The state finalists for this year’s Angostura Cocktail Challenge have been announced and they will be battling out for a spot in the national finals at events to be held across the county in the next few weeks.
The New South Wales finalists are Ben Blair (The Corner House), Jean Munos (Pelicanos), Guillermo Arnal-Machado (Emilou Tapas & Bar), Igor Pachi (Blue Beat), Marko Farac (the loft), Dula Lorenzo (La Bodeguita del Medio), Kevin Peters (Lo-Fi) and Jessica Arnott (The Victoria Room).
The Victorian finalists are Kylie Kearney (Slippery Jacks), Shaun Byrne (Gin Palace), Kyle Aitken (Byblos Melbourne), Michael Prosser (Prossers on the Beach), Andrew Buykx-Smith (Long Room), Kayla Spencer (Long Room), Kash Wall (Spice Temple) and Evin Craney (The Firehouse Restaurant).
The Queensland Finalists are Sean Chow (Press Club), James Savage (Pleasant), Samuel James Tripet (Byblos Brisbane), Anita Strother (Mr & Mrs G), Andrew Cameron (Canvas Club), Emma Borelli (Laruche), Perryn Collier (The Laneway) and Lauren Besse (Lock 'n' Load Bistro).
The South Australian finalists are Brett Bayly (Freelance), Erin Shaw (Cushdy), Jeremy Aubert (The Archer Hotel), Joshua Dolman (Sangria Bar), Maurice Hogan (Highway Hotel), Nicole Morgan (Fumo Blu), Asher Waldron (Fumo Blu) and Monnie Place (Cushdy).
The Western Australian finalists are Tim Laferla (Mechanic's Institute), Seb Terkildsen (399 Bar), Kenny Lim (399 Bar), Amelia Caroline (Luxe Bar), Simon Hough (Luxe Bar), Mitch Keane (Ezra Pound), Matt Scales (Sentinel Bar & Grill) and Owen Merriman (The Trustee Bar & Bistro).
The Victorian finals will be held on August 29 at LuWOW in Melbourne, the South Australian finals will be held on September 3 at Highway Hotel in Adelaide and the New South Wales finals will also be held on September 3 at Sydney’s Pelicanos.
Both the Queensland and the Western Australian finals will be held on September 10, with the former to be held at Brisbane’s Press Club and the latter to be held at the Malt Supper Club in Perth.
Anyone interested in attending the finals needs to RSVP a week in advance to: bpage@island2island.com.au