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Bartender of the year
Tuesday, September 18 saw the 7th Annual Bar Awards held at the Sydney's Hilton Hotel. The event was a culmination of two days of gruelling tests as 70 bartenders from around the country competed to find out who shakes it best.
The competition began with a 60-question written test to divide the men from the boys. After all, being Australia's top bartender means knowing your stuff - including the grapes used to make Courvoisier Cognac and the ingredients of the Clover Club cocktail.
The results of the test eliminated many, seeing only the top 20 contenders through to the next round, a so-called 'mystery round' divided into two parts. First, a random classic cocktail was to be produced in front of a panel of bartending experts. Drinks like the White Lady, the Blood and Sand, and the Brandy Crusta tripped up many a budding mixologist. From there, they moved to the blind spirit-tasting component, requiring the correct identification of eight aged spirits - a game recommended for any good weekend get-together.
Once complete, the top 10 combatants - four Brisbane bartenders, three Sydney shakers and three Melbourne mixologists - were each asked to take to the stage at the Sydney Bar Show to demonstrate their true talents in cocktail creation.
Once the ice had settled and the last garnish had been placed, the winners were announced. Here then is the final gold, silver and bronze.
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Hugos Bar Pizza
Kings Cross
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Coming in second is Jared Plummer. Originally from Perth, he has travelled the world seeking inspiration before settling in his new home, Hugo's Bar Pizza. A man of the classics, his love is for cocktails based on spirits alone.
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Acqua e Vino
Yarraville
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And third for the second year in a row is Tim Wastell of Acqua e Vino. A self professed 'beverage consultant' and writer for Australian Bartender magazine, his behind-the-bar expertise cannot be denied.
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 flagging ...
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