By Sacha Delfosse
SouthTrade International held two G'Vine Gin Connoisseur Program (GCP) preliminary finals this week to decide which two bartenders would be representing Australia at the world finals.
The first preliminary final was held at Melbourne's The Trust bar on April 15 and was won by Gorge Camorra from Geelong venue Cloud 9. Second place went to Jenna Hemsworth from The Kodiak Club in Melbourne, with Monnie Place from Adelaide's The Collins taking out third spot.
Sydney winner Mike Tomasic (centre) with Steven Ian Hubbard (left) and Anita Strother (right)
The second preliminary final was held at Sydney's Bar 100 on April 17 and was won by Mike Tomasic from Sydney's The Wild Rover, with Anita Strother from Mr & Mrs G and Steven Ian Hubbard from Glass Bar and Dining, both in Brisbane, winning second and third place respectively.
Both Camorra and Tomasic will now travel to Cognac, France in June to compete in the 2013 G'Vine GCP world finals, where they will compete over a week in a series of bartender challenges and tests for the champion's prize, which includes all-expenses-paid trips to present at Tales of the Cocktail and Bar Convent Berlin.
Renowned international bartender and GCP mentor, Philip Duff, flew down to Australia to help judge both preliminary finals and host seminars for the trade in the lead-up.