Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Get that cocktail shaking
ABOUT 55 of the world’s best bartenders are about to descend on Cape Town for one of the biggest cocktailmaking gatherings.
Following last year’s contest in Scotland, the global finals of the World Class Bartender of the Year come to South Africa, with the last leg playing out in the Mother City in the week ahead.
By Friday, the competition will have crowned the next best bartender here in Cape Town. South Africa is represented by Domenico de Lorenzo, a Joburg barman who is a founder of the mobile bar service Molecular Bars.
“It’s an incredible achievement to represent South Africa. The pressure to do South Africa proud is real,” he said.
Surprisingly, this is his first entry in the competition. He made it through regional and national finals to compete with bartenders who have entered before. He feels he won at the nationals with his Il Primo Ciao, an aperitif drink he makes with Campari and Tanqueray London Dry.
“The problem I have is I work too fast. The judges are well established people and it is nerve-racking. I do get nervous. You need to lead the judges and guests into your mindset and fairy tale of the drink.”
He opened Molecular Bars in 2011 and it now enjoys bookings two to three times a week. Recently, it opened a permanent space called the March Hare in Maboneng, Joburg.
He will take time away from this to prepare for the global finals.
DOMENICO DE LORENZO’S NATIONALS WINNING COCKTAIL
Il Primo Ciao Base: Tanqueray London Dry Other ingredients: Campari and Aperol syrup, grapefruit zest, orange zest, lemon juice, Pernod liqueur, grapefruit and orange blossom soda Directions: Add the Tanqueray, Campari and Aperol syrup, lemon juice and the zest into a shaker and then shake them all together. Strain it into a tall glass and top with the Pernod and grapefruit soda.
“I have my next few days planned down to the minute. I am working on my speed but I can’t make a mistake.”
He intends bringing out fruity flavours for the South African- inspired cocktail round.
He will be preparing a Banana Mageau, which he compares to fermented pap.
“Most contestants are keeping things under wrap. I haven’t seen anything from them. I did go to a workshop with them in Istanbul but they are keeping it a bit of a surprise.”
He’s excited about the prospects that the World Class Global Finals will bring South Africa.
“This is massive. This is the biggest bartender competition. It shows that being a bartender can be a cool job and that you can do it full time.”
Chantelle Horn was a judge at the national finals and was very influential in bringing the competition to South Africa for local bartenders to compete.
“This competition started in 2009 with 18 countries. Now it has almost tripled... If you look at the South African market, we never focused on cocktails before. We were ready to grab this by the horns. It took off and all the bartenders wanted to be in it.”
Horn said these global finals will bring the top 2 percent of bars and restaurants in the world to South Africa.
“Most competitions only test one or two aspects. World Class tests speed, theory, knowledge and blind tasting. It’s about performance and the best drinks.”
The judges are made up of past winners and industry specialists but there are no local judges. This year, the competition will make a cut from 55 to six finalists with the last challenge being a speed test.
With the competition, comes the magic of the World Class House, one of the best ways to experience the competition. It will be set up at Roodebloem Studios in Woodstock until Saturday.
There you will be able to meet distillers from around the world, spirit ambassadors and mixologists. You can even taste the drinks of previous World Class winners.
Tickets for the house are R180 and can be bought at www.theworldclasshouse.com.
“All the cocktail menus have been prepared by the best. You will be able to taste drinks you will never be able to experience elsewhere,” said Horn.
Co- judge Rebecca Quiñonez, who is the Ron Zacapa ambassador, said the trend to look out for this year is cocktail vessels.
“Vessels have been a big part of trends this year. It is all about the style of the glassware. I see organic material in presentations like coconuts and pineapples and wood-type vessels.”