Finally, some photos have made it off the boat. This is everything that I could find Luke in.
Tag Archives: Diageo World Class 2013
Proof of Life from the Mediterranean Ghost Ship
If you’ve been trying to follow along the fun on the World Class cruise, you might have noticed updates are almost non-existent and photos, unless you’re talking Tim Philips eating jamon and sucking down cava, are rarer than hen’s teeth.
Apparently, despite having state of the art radar and electronics, fully automated blinds in the stately dining rooms, a luxuriant pool deck and space to conceal a Tanqueray speakeasy, the Azamara Journey has approximately zero internets.
It’s day 5, but these two photos are the only evidence aside form the group shot I posted earlier that Luke Ashton even made it on board ship.
For those of you not following Tim Philips on facebook, Luke made it through to the top 16, and tonight that number will be reduced in half again. It sounds like he’s doing great, so fingers crossed Australia, although if the last few days are anything to by, you’ll need to look out for Britain.
Straight flowing on a boat on the deep blue sea
It’s World Class time again, and this time it’s on a boat flitting between 5 destinations around Europe. My only disappointment outside of not being on the boat myself, is that there isn’t a single nautical-themed pashmina afghan in sight. 44 bartneders are competing this year, including our very own Luke Ashton.
Tim Philips is there, sipping Johnnie Blue and giving interviews to hungover journalists and bloggers. News is a bit thin on the ground as yet, but the welcome drink of Talisker Storm, served by a guy who went through a storm in a boat named Talisker was a pretty cute brand integration, even if the Mediterranean sun was somewhat less evocative and somewhat more a juxtaposition.
I’ll be tracking down pics of Luke’s Drinks and news of his progress, as soon as someone starts returning my emails.
Follow the fun for yourself on facebook https://www.facebook.com/GlobalWorldClassFinals and Twitter https://twitter.com/WClassGlobal
This Guy is World Class
He made great drinks, he won a hundred grand and in a few weeks time he’ll be on a mother fucking boat.
Huge congratulations to Luke Ashton on taking out the Australian finals of Diageo’s World Class tonight in Sydney. You can get a drink off him at Vasco on Cleveland St in Surry Hills, and soon at his new bar. Can’t wait!
Huge props as well to the Gourmantics, for this photo and many others, by far the fastest photo journalists in Sydney if not the world. I’ll write a feature on Luke’s dronks once the shots come through from the PR agency…
Is one of these cocktails worth $100,000?
The World Class summer round came to its conclusion with 12 bartenders from around Australia as is fast becoming tradition, on a motherfuckin’ boat.
The overall quality of the drinks, the presentations and the event itself had stepped up from the previous year, and the addition of the American Cocktail with Bulleit Bourbon was simply the tastiest damn thing ever.
I wrote a couple of months back that Diageo have put up a hundred grand for the Australian winner this time around and you could see that the call has been answered by the bartending community with some well thought out drinks that certainly bring the brands to life in the mouths and minds of drinkers.
There were plenty of standout drinks, but this is a post about winners, and the folk who’ve done enough to be in the running for the big prize.
First up, let’s talk favourites, and mine was the Modern Love cocktail from Luke Ashton, of the Roosevelt.
The use of a unique acid (extinct Phosphoric), the ability to customise the drink in the masculine or feminine, the allusions to the perfume industry and the techniques in common with the botanical production of modern Gins like Tanqueray 10, the glassware and technique on a rocking boat were all great. I’m not sure it had the boozy hit or history that the rat pack category was meant to elicit but rolling the hint of Parfait Amour around my mouth I’m not sure it mattered.
Next in line, Jessica Arnott from Portneo with her rockabilly twist of a drink, 1956.
A bottled cocktail and very much on trend, with a real connection to the essence of the venue she now manages, the drink comes either as a tasty Old Fashioned or optioned up with a series of upgrades. The ginger beer and dulche de leche float was a cute idea that would have shifted drinks in venue, if being a little long for my own slightly more boozy tastes. Jess has stepped it up from last year and I can’t wait to see her shine in the finals next year.
The Ron Zacapa After Dinner Drink was taken out by Christian Blair from Eau de Vie in Sydney. A gorgeous looking serve that managed to still taste of dreamy boozy goodness despite the load up with creamy additions. Christian had a good confidence behind the bar booth boatside, and it’ll be good to see him shine in the extended format at the finals.
Which brings me to Krystal Hart from Canvas in Brisbane. The story behind the Beholden Martini was tight, connected to the brand but not just a retelling of the Nolet story, I’m also a sucker for a meat garnish and the pickled herring was unexpected but totally refreshing after 10 or so drinks on a less than mirror glass flat Sydney Harbour. She’s gained a lot of confidence since last year, and she’s got a creative flair that will make her a real contender come finals time.
While the quality across the board was better than last year, I’m not sure there was a Tim Philips amongst them. That said, none of these guys have had the benefit of being exposed to the Global Finals and the knowledge of just how good the other bartenders who will be travelling (potentially to San Fran?) from their home countries for a shot at the title and the benefits it confers.
There aren’t any bad drinks at that global level, just great, really great and insanely great ones. It might have been the cash prize on offer but it seemed like the nerves were heightened at a few stations round the room. In Rio, all the competitors could stand behind an unfamiliar bar, with a TV camera in their face and an absolute fucking bartending legend sitting in front of them, and make it feel like it was their bar, performing a comfortable, confident shtick while banging out a tasty beverage.
I’d also love to be surprised a bit more. The training program that Diageo has in place is insanely and award-winningly great, but I wonder how much the tasting notes and trainings are pulling people into a very samey set of flavour profiles in terms of end drinks, all the while using some complex and beautifully crafted spirits.
That said, the only qualifications I’ve got to make the criticism above is that I’m obsessed by great drinks and love to share stories about them. If I learn anything from being a judge at World Class, it’s how far away I am from being able to conceive and present drinks of this standard. It’s not going to stop me from trying, or accepting kind invitations to be involved either.
Also, big props to Diageo and Behind Bars for continuing to raise the bar with this competition, for opening it up to the public to be involved, for backing off the spammy social media that irked a few last year and most of all for believing enough in the creativity, passion and talent of Australian bartenders to put up 100k for one of them.
The Gourmantics have got some great photos of the consumer part of the event here.