By Sacha Delfosse
The Time Out Shakedown cocktail competition, held in conjunction with Southtrade, was held at The Loft on Monday June 27.
A crowd of over 250 gathered to watch five of Sydney’s finest bartenders compete for the Shakedown Heavyweight belt.
The five finalists, Ben McFarlane from Rockpool Bar & Grill, Max Greco from Eau-de-Vie, Lee Potter Cavanagh from Victoria Room, Matteo Fabbris from Stitch and Neilsen Braid from Porteño, showcased their signature cocktail on stage, as well as serving up plenty for the guests.
The guests not only got to try the cocktails and watch the bartenders in action, they also had the responsibility of picking the winner, with Braid’s My High Tea cocktail getting the most votes.
Apart from taking home the Shakedown Heavyweight belt, Braid also received a $600 bottle of Armand de Brignac and ‘a day in the life of a rock star’ that includes a chauffeur-driven tour of Sydney in a classic 1964 EH Holden Premier, and a dinner-for-two at Neil Perry’s Spice Temple restaurant.