World Class

Diageo World Class returned to GB this year with bartenders across the country challenged with creating cocktails with either Tanqueray 10 or Seedlip. I chose to compete with Tanqueray 10, a great premium gin that strikes a fine balance between floral and citrus. It is that delicate balance that Diageo want explored by crafting a cocktail using one citrus element, one floral element, an element of the bartender’s choosing and of course Tanqueray. 

For inspiration I looked no further than service within Orchid. Striking a balance between quick, efficient movement and a calm, controlled mindset is vital to ensuring guests receive timely service in a relaxed, stress free environment. This can be tough to manage on a busy Saturday night when looking out from the bar all you see are expectant and thirsty people, and lots of them. Fortunately, I have a secret weapon, coffee! A big mug of coffee pre-shift will get the heart rate going and speed up my movements but also brings me a level of focus to stay calm and collected. And so that brings me to the cocktail itself. I’ve mixed Tanqueray 10 with a grapefruit sherbet and manzanilla sherry to cover the citrus and floral elements respectively. The element of my choosing is what I’ve called Boosted Coffee. I’ve taken Figment Coffee’s Burundi Blend and gently brewed it with orange zest before mixing that with a light hibiscus syrup. Its a great all round ingredient, striking balance between citrus and floral as well as bitter and sweet. 

World Class is renowned for setting the standard for bartending and drinks across the globe and so to take part for the first time has been challenging in all the best ways. My entry has gained me a spot in the top 100 for GB which is an achievement to be proud of alone. At the end of February my drink will be judged in person in Orchid with a space in the lucrative top 50 up for grabs.