Ballito bartenders plan to shake things up during national competition
|Published
Durban — Two KwaZulu-Natal bartenders will compete for a chance to participate in the Diageo World Championships in Shanghai later this year.
Entering his first World Class competition, Alchemy Executive Chef and bartender Jono Harrison said he looks forward to the challenge and competing against the best.
He said he was shocked to be selected for the top nine and expressed excitement for a great opportunity to showcase his craft.
“I am looking forward to competing with the best and learning from the best. For me, this whole experience is about learning from the best and having fun,” he said.
Harrison, 37, added that although he is primarily a chef, he sees similarities with mixology as both involve creating flavour profiles and creating different mediums. He added that he is fortunate to work with last year’s runner-up - Alchemy Bar Manager Richie Nahkala.
Sharing secret behind his signature drink - the Don Julio Punch. “I like fermenting things as a chef, so I thought of fermenting my own drink. This drink is about time and technique, so everyday, I added something new to my drink, fermented it and nursed it. In total, it was 14 days of fermenting and putting the punch together,” he said.
Jono’s Recipe for Don Julio Punch:
- 50ml Don Julio Blanco tequila
- 100ml punch
- 25ml lemon juice
- Shake, and serve over regular ice
- Garnish with fresh mint, lime wedge and orange peel
Outside mixology, Harrison spends time surfing, creating art or spending family time.
He concluded by saying for World Class, he wants everyone to believe in themselves and if they believe they can do anything, then do it. “Have fun, explore, play. The more you create, the more you explore. The more you fail, the further you go. Do not be scared of having fun,” he concluded.
National Sales Manager DaVinci Gourmet Jason Andrews, 41, said he aims at improving on his debut last year, where he finished fourth.
“This year, the standard is seriously high. There are some talented bartenders we’ll be competing against. But to combat this, I believe I have a good presentation for each of the challenges and I look forward to putting it all out there,” he said.
He added that he was very happy with the selection given the lengthy process of qualifiers - which involves submitting recipes. The recipes get assessed from a pool of 50 entrants. He said from 50, they cut it down to the regional top 10. For KZN, Andrews was in the top two and qualified for nationals. He said he aimed for this so that he didn’t have to rely on an aggregated score to carry him through.
Andrews praised the competition because he has learnt new techniques every year he’s entered. He said that his inspiration and motivation for creating drinks is to make people feel good as the world is filled with negativity.
Outside mixology, Andrews loves cooking and studying the history of mixology - which is close to his work; and spending time with family is the centre of his universe.
“Try to take it easy and don’t stress too much. For the competitors, be confident and take it one step at a time,” he concluded.
Jason’s recipe for Gimlet No. 10:
- 50ml Tanqueray No. TEN gin
- 20ml lime juice (½ a lime)
- 25ml lime and orange oleo saccharum
- 12.5ml chamomile-infused dry vermouth
- Shake and fine strain
- Glass: Nick & Nora 160ml
- Garnish: Lime wheel
“We’re celebrating the 15th edition of World Class in 2024, and we’re expecting our national champion to fly the South African flag high in Shanghai with the best bartenders from more than 60 countries,” said Diageo SA’s Reserve Brand Ambassador, Nicci Denman.
The national finals in Johannesburg from 14-16 July will include five challenges, each with its own score requirements. The top six will be chosen after the first two challenges and will go on to compete in the remaining three challenges.
WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995.
Daily News