Curated cocktail-related articles, local and international spirit and bar news, new bars and recommended reads.
Jenna Hemsworth: Winner of Bacardi Legacy Final Australia 2019 – Photo: Supplied
Jenna Hemsworth Wins Bacardi Legacy Final Australia 2019
The Bacardi Legacy Australia Final 2019 was held on 4 February 2019, Founders Day at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney with Jenna Hemsworth of Restaurant Hubert in Sydney taking out the title with her cocktail, The Monarch.
Jenna was also the first woman to win Australian Bartender of the Year 2018. She will be travelling to Amsterdam in May 2019 to represent Australia against the best bartenders from 48 countries and compete in the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition 2018/9.
The other three finalists competing for the title were David Robinson from Hot Tamale, NT with the 18th Amendment, Will Krepop from Jungle Boy, VIC with Altura and Millie Tang from The Gresham, QLD with Me Oh My. You can see highlights of the competition including the live announcement of the winner in our instagram stories.
2019 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards Now Open
Entries for the 2019 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards (ADSA) are now open. The judging panel will award up to 11 Champion Trophies including Whisky, Gin, Vodka, Brandy, Rum, Liqueur, Alternative Spirit and Aromatic Bitters. This year the awards are paying homage to a legend of the industry, the late Raymond ‘Spike’ Dessert (Ord River Rum), with the introduction of a trophy to commemorate him and his contribution to the industry. Online entries are open here until Friday 15 February 2019. Click here for the 2018 ADSA winners.
Cognac XXO Category
A new super-premium cognac category has been introduced by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac. The super-premium Cognac XXO category stands for ‘Extra Extra Old’ and states that the youngest distillate in the blend to be of at least 14 years of age. Read the full article here.
Gomi-Pit Bar
Gomi-Pit Bar (meaning waste pit bar) has opened inside Tokyo’s western city of Musashino within a waste disposal facility. The pop up cocktail bar is part of an initiative aimed at bringing awareness of environmental issues and waste disposal. Fancy sipping on a drink while taking in the sight of garbage being sorted and prepared for incineration? Read the full article here.
A-Z Cocktail
A London culinary design studio has created the A-Z Cocktail, made with 26 ingredients where every spirit, bitter, and digestif starts with a different letter of the alphabet. But would you drink it? Read the full article here.
The Virgin Mary Alcohol-Free Bar
Did you hear the one about about the alcohol free bar? As the low and no-alcohol trend continues to grow, Dublin is set to open Ireland’s first permanent alcohol-free bar, entitled The Virgin Mary Bar. The bar will be serving alcohol-free beers, wines and cocktails. Read the full article here.
New Bars & Bar News
- Bondi has welcomed Rosenbaum & Fuller, a cafe/restaurant/bar by owner-operator Lee Potter Cavanagh with a focus on sustainability and locality. Read our feature on Rosenbaum & Fuller here.
- Maybe Sammy, the new cocktail bar from the owners of Maybe Frank in Surry Hills has opened early in January in The Rocks, Sydney. Read the feature article on Cocktails & Bars.
- Renowned for its zero-waste philosophy, London’s Scout Bar is coming to Sydney. Scout Sydney will be taking up permanent residence on the top floor of The Dolphin Hotel in Surry Hills later this month.
Recommended Reads
- Looking for cocktail inspiration? Into music and cocktails? This venue in SOHO has launched a music-themed cocktail list that pays homage to Britain’s most-loved musicians. Read it here.
- Is that classic cocktail’s origin story actually true? Check out these ‘Rules of Cocktail History Verification’. Read it here.
- Are tulip shaped glasses to blame for gender bias in spirits? Read it here.
Opening a new cocktail bar soon? Contact us here, and don’t forget to check our Bars Directory and updated Australian Distillery Directory.
