Australia now has its Top Three Most Promising for the 2019/20 Bacardi Legacy competition, after a semi-final selection process at Sydney’s Maybe Sammy yesterday.
The national Top Eight from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane were each tasked with presenting their unique Legacy creation and an original Bacardi Daiquiri to the judges panel. Then, after some deliberation, the Top Three Most Promising were announced at a cocktail party later in the evening.
The three successful bartenders were:
- Adam Dow – Dead Ringer – Sydney
- Natalie Ng – Door Knock – Sydney
- Mikey Braun – Bodriggy Brew Pub – Melbourne
Bacardi Brand Ambassador, Loy Catada, explained the judging process the panel went through and said: “The way the judges judged today, they had to look for obviously the flavour and the taste of the cocktail, so it’s all about the drink; the competitors performance behind the bar or on stage and the potential of the cocktail to become a legacy – the replicability, the inspiration behind the drink and of course originality.”
“The next step for these aspiring bartenders is to promote their cocktail throughout Australia and the world, getting as many people to taste, hear about and list their drink, proving it could become the next cocktail to last the test of time.”
Dow, Ng and Braun will be closely mentored by Catada, as well as fellow brand ambassadors Peter Hollands and Georgie Mann, in the lead up to the Australian National Final in February 2020. They will have exclusive access to Bacardi’s digital, PR and social media team, as well as inside tips from previous Legacy finalists to help drive their cocktail’s campaign.
Semi-final judge and last year’s Australian winner, Jenna Hemsworth, announced the finalists on the night, and said the talent of the Top Eight was incredible.
“It was an absolute pleasure to judge today, the standard and quality of drinks and your presentations and your legacies were all incredible,” she said.
Hemsworth’s message to the final three was: “enjoy tonight, enjoy the next year, it’s going to be a big part of your life.”
At the National Final in February 2020, one of the Top Three will be selected to represent Australia and join the ranks of previous winners like Hemsworth, James Irvine, Dave Kerr, Andrew Bennett, Alissa Gabriel and Fred Siggins. This selection will be based on the success of their Legacy cocktail itself and their overall campaign over the coming months.