By Rebecca Harris
A team comprised of bartenders from two of Brisbane’s top bars – Emporium hotel bar and Libertine, dubbed ‘Liberporium’ – took out first place in an unusual bar competition on Monday night (Oct 5).
Held at the Chalk Hotel, the ‘Bar Medley’ bartending competition is a relay-style event, which calls for teams to create a cocktail while performing unrelated tasks, such as reciting Shakespeare.
The third to be held this year, Monday’s competition attracted seven teams from some of Brisbane’s top bars, including Sling Lounge, x&y bar and Siana. It was the combined efforts of Libertine’s Bonnie Shearston and Tom Sanceau and Emporium’s Lucy George that saw them take home the title of ‘Bar Medley Champion’ and a cheque for $2000.
“Liberporium came up with a hilarious story about the Rusty Nail where two bartenders dressed up in rusty Scottish nails who went to a bar to get one good tasty drink but not too strong as they didn’t wanted to get hammered,” said Chalk Hotel bar training manager and Bar Medley organiser Marco Nunes. “The whole night was a great success.”
Sponsored by Chivas Regal, Schweppes and Red Bull, other rounds involved contestants answering five questions about the history and production of Chivas Regal scotch whisky while running around a table, and a tandem speed test where two teammates had to make two classic cocktails, and open a bottle of beer and a can of Red Bull in the fastest time possible.
The next Bar Medley competition will be held on Monday January 11, 2010 at the Chalk Hotel.