One To Watch – The Cocktail World Cup

This year top bartenders from the UK & Ireland’s leading style bars & restaurants will battle it out in a live event at Taste of London in Regent’s Park 22 June for a place in the world’s most coveted cocktail competition in New Zealand this September.

Live DJ’s, fly jumpers, flare shows, mixology secrets from the best in the business, 42 BELOW usherettes with tasty samples, giant twister and a yet to be disclosed after party will make 42 BELOW CWC UK & Ireland Final at Taste of London the cocktail event of Summer.

The 2 hour event will be hosted by 42 BELOW’s extrovert Vodka Professor, Jacob Briars. Finalists will shake-off in front of a judging panel of cocktail celebrities. Contestants are put through their paces with a “mystery box challenge” and must also craft an original cocktail judged on technical flair, flavour, presentation and scent.

Worldwide over 600 contestants will compete in national finals in their respective countries to win golden tickets for one of the 42 places in the New Zealand Grand Final. The 42 Below CWC UK & Ireland Final will be the star event on Friday 22 June 6.30pm at the Taste of London in Regent’s Park. The best 8 competitors will go on to defend the UK title in NZ, won last year by Kevin Armstrong (Match Bar, London), Jose Da Rocha (Eclipse, London) and Tim Fitz-Gibbon (Raoul’s, Oxford).

The 4th annual 42 BELOW Cocktail World Cup takes place this year 9-16 September where brave bartenders from the world’s best style bars and restaurants including Mahiki, the Ritz and the Cuckoo Club in London, Bungalow 8 in New York, Elements in LA, El Bulli in Spain, Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai and Herrie Bar in Amsterdam mix cocktail-making flair and technical expertise with adrenalin; bungee jumping from bridges, dangling from helicopters and jet boating.

Each year entrants introduce new ingredients and innovative methodologies at the CWC. 2006 discovered molecular mixology with lemongrass reduction and calcium chloride from North East Asia, flaming cinnamon sticks from Europe, yam sculptures from Central America and red hot pokers from the winning UK team. Ingredients ranged from inventive to bizarre with oak smoked syrup, toasted pinecones, wasabi, lavender bitters and sour plum powder.

The godfather of cocktails, Dale DeGroff, will judge the NZ competition along side other industry and celebrity judges including UK mixology expert Angus Winchester. During the white knuckle week of mixology the cream of the world’s bartenders attend cocktail summits by international experts including Dale and Angus and create an encyclopedia of international drinks trends and techniques.

Dale will teach his famous cocktail pyrotechnics in a rare master-class. The week culminates in the ultimate cocktail shake-off before a live audience in Queenstown where the bartenders are put through their paces by the Vodka Professor.

To see the final event live, tickets for the 22 June 5.30pm session of Taste of London can be purchased at the official Taste website for £21 which includes standard admission to Taste of London and 42 Below’s Cocktail World Cup UK & Ireland Final.

Additional information on the Cocktail World Cup can be found at Cocktailworldcup.com.