By Stefanie Collins, editor b&c
The global cocktail competition in Australia is heating up with the Bacardi Legacy Top 8 bartenders selected to progress to the National Semi-Final in the 2016/2017 competition.
Bacardi brand ambassador, Loy Catada, toured the country to judge all of the entries in the Top 50, giving the bartenders the opportunity to make and present their Legacy cocktail in front of himself and a panel of past Legacy legends (including members of last year’s Top 3, pictured) and fellow Bacardi brand ambassadors.
The competitors were judged against a specific set criteria including taste, aroma, innovation and inspiration, as well as working against the clock to prepare and present in less than 10 minutes.
Catada was impressed by the professionalism with which the competitors took to the bar.
“They were well-rehearsed, the drinks were positively delicious, and their preparation and raw passion for the competition was very exciting for us,” he says.
The Top 8:
Dave Kerr, The Beaufort & Ike’s VIC
Elise Godwin, Halford Bar WA
Joshua O’Brien, The Bowery QLD
Julius Yates, PS-40 NSW
Piotr Kuzmicki, Lui Bar VIC
Quynh Van Nguyen, Fred’s NSW
Ryan Snedden, The Lobo Plantation NSW
Russell Downie, Palmer & Co NSW
These bartenders will now present their cocktails again in Sydney on 8 November 2016 at the National Semi-Final where they will also make a Bacardi Daiquiri in front of the judging panel.
The Semi-Final event will culminate at a cocktail party where the Top 3 Most Promising will be announced.