Charley Carrington from Last Chance bar in Nottingham, United Kingdom, was crowned the winner of the fifth annual Opihr World Adventure Cocktail Competition following a closely fought final in Istanbul, Turkey, last night [Thursday 27th September].
Charley and the other seven top bartenders competing in the final, were tasked with creating a cocktail that transcends borders, cities and cultures, and was inspired by their visit to Istanbul and the exchange of knowledge with their fellow contestants. Each cocktail was to contain no more than five ingredients and made using Opihr Gin. It was also important that the cocktail was deemed accessible to someone who has never tried Opihr Gin before, but also to seasoned gin lovers.
The judging panel, which was comprised of last year’s Opihr World Adventure Cocktail Competition champion, Aaron Pollack; Simone Caporale, formerly of Artesian at the Langham, London; Ondrej Pospichal, Spirit Evangelist at Proof & Company, Hong Kong; as well as Ibrahim Bulut, head bartender of the hosting venue Mikla, were impressed by Charley’s ability to add a multisensory experience to a cocktail and give her winning cocktail from the UK regional final a twist to link up with the hosting city.
Following her triumph, Charley commented, “I have had the most amazing time here in Istanbul and learned so much from my fellow bartenders. It means the absolute world to me to be crowned the global champion.”
The two days preceding the final were busy for the finalists with the group immersing themselves in Istanbul’s culturally rich streets and getting inspired by the city’s tastes and smells, as well as being introduced to new ingredients by their fellow bartenders from the world over. They embarked on a walking tour, the ‘Istanbul on food’, where the bartenders sourced their meals from a local market in the east of the city, followed by a visit to a local tea house, and a stroll through a spice market. At the market the contestants sourced local ingredients and props to bring their cocktails to life for the judges. On day two, the contestants were introduced to the skillful art of glassblowing, which left them in awe of the glassware they are using in their bars back home. The session offered further inspiration for the presentation of their final cocktail.
Crowned the Spirit of Opihr, Charley will now get the opportunity to work on exciting projects and support the Opihr brand team around the world in an honorary brand ambassador role.
Robert Milton, International Brand Director for Opihr Gin at brand owner, Quintessential Brands, states; “The calibre of the contestants has been impressive, and they have all shown tremendous interest in the local culture and understood what Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin is about – the journey and not necessarily the destination. We are already looking forward to next year’s competition, and are excited to follow the future journeys of all our bartenders who have become part of the Opihr family this week.”
Commenting on Charley’s winning creation, judge Ondrej Pospichal states: “I like how Charley’s cocktail was simple and modern and incorporated current drinks trends such as whey. I also like how she makes syrups and cordials at home. The cocktail is easy to replicate at home but complex enough for an adventurous bartender who would like to bring the unique taste of Opihr Gin to consumers in a different way.”
Charley’s winning cocktail ‘Serefe’ was:
50ml Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin
25ml Spiced pomegranate wine cordial
25ml Grapefruit/goat whey
The eight finalists in the Opihr World Adventure
Cocktail Competition 2018 were:
- Salvatore Calvo – Netherlands
- Julian Short – South Africa
- Barney O’Kane – Ireland
- Nguyen Thanh Trung – Vietnam
- Loreta Kwong – Australia
- Alan Alvarez – Mexico
- Charley Carrington – UK
- Alessio Turetta – Italy
ABOUT QUINTESSENTIAL BRANDS
Quintessential Brands owns an award-winning portfolio of world-class spirit brands, which is powered by a strong entrepreneurial vision and passion for innovation, backed by centuries of handcrafted distilling expertise.
Quintessential Brands Group was established in 2011 with the acquisition of G&J Distillers, the UK’s foremost gin distillery, which evolved from Thomas Dakin’s original 1761 operation and now produces an unrivalled quality gin selection. In Ireland, Dublin Liberties Distillery is our home of modern Irish whiskeys and First Ireland Spirits in Abbeyleix crafts award-winning Irish creams. Our French hub, L&L France, creates fine French fruit liqueurs, cognacs, brandies and vodka.
For more information, please contact the communications team at Quintessential Brands by e-mail: [email protected]
