Five months after the being named the three “most promising” in the 2016 Bacardí Legacy Australia competition Andrew Bennett, Igor Pachi and Peter Hollands will fight it out to see who will go to globals in San Francisco. The three bartenders have been actively promoting their cocktails under the guiding eye of their brand manager mentors around the country and beyond in the lead up to next Tuesday’s final.
One of the biggest cocktail competitions in the world, the Bacardí Legacy Global Cocktail Competition challenges the world’s best bartenders to create a drink that will stand the test of time, and be remembered alongside the early pioneers who developed revered classics such as the Original Bacardí Daiquiri and the Original Bacardí Mojito.
Before the Australian hopefuls get there, however, they will deliver their marketing presentations to the Bacardí brand team on Monday, as their marketing plan is a vital part of the competition.
The final on Tuesday will see the trio competing during an intimate dinner event to be held at the Cell Block Theatre in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. Between the cocktail presentations, guests will be treated to a menu designed to complement the contestants’ competing cocktails.
Over the five months of competition, the competitors were given $2500 spending money, a case of stock, plus a week to take over Bacardí Australia’s social media platforms. And the results have been impressive.
Andrew Bennett – The Classroom, WA – leveraged his cocktail, The Seventh Art, to create partnerships with Cobs Popcorn, Village and Event Cinemas; food festivals with celebrity chefs; TV appearances and masterclasses to the stars of Neighbours and The Living Room; he even inspired the first Bacardí-flavoured donut.
Igor Pachi – Assembly Bar, NSW – has worked hard with his cocktail, El Pasaporte, despite getting married just before Christmas, spreading the “taste of freedom” around the world, whether it be on land or sea on the Dawn Princess cruise ship. Between masterclasses, trade shows, press coverage, and an Instagram competition to win $1000 travel voucher, he has created a “travellers’ cocktail”.
Peter Hollands – The Gresham, QLD – has taken his drink, The Treaty Of Paris around the country, with it sitting on the cocktail lists of well over 50 bars and available in Malt Trader’s Classic Pre-batched Cocktails.
Once the final has been decided, the 2016 champion will be making their way to San Francisco to weigh in against 46 other competing nations at the Bacardí Legacy Global Competition in April this year. They will also have two more months of promotional work to prove their original cocktail creation has the same longevity as the classics of the past such as the Daiquiri, the Mojito and the Cuba Libre.
(Pictured left to right above: 2016 Bacardi Legacy Australia’s Three Most Promising – Andrew Bennett, Peter Hollands & Igor Pachi at the Semi Finals at QT Gold Coast in 2015.)