By Rebecca Harris in Melbourne
A female bartender has beaten the odds to take out first place in the Victorian 2009 Appleton Estate Tiki Cocktail Competition held last night (Oct 27).
Priscilla Leong from Golden Monkey impressed the judges with her modern Tiki cocktail ‘Beached as, Bro’ and her energetic presentation dressed in a monkey suit to beat out six other finalists at the Tiki-themed event at Blue Diamond, Melbourne.
Apart from the title, Leong also won a bottle of the extremely rare Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum.
Second place went to Alumbra’s Max Ware, who won a selection of Edwin Charley Proprietor’s Collection rum, while Black Pearl’s Chris Hystead came third, earning him a signed bottle (Master Blender Joy Spence) of Appleton Estate Master Blender’s Legacy.
Each contestant had to use a minimum of 30ml of Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum (V/X, Reserve or Extra), with the cocktails judged on taste, presentation, balance and ‘Tikiness’.
Each drink was served in a specially designed Appleton Estate ‘Rum-God’ tiki mug, designed by guest judge Holden Westland, Tiki guru and founder of US-based Tiki shop, Tiki Farm.