Overview
Australia's states have been known to serve each other some pretty stiff competition when it comes to world-class boozing and bartending. We've usually got a handful of cocktail haunts vying to take the top Aussie spot in the annual World's 50 Best Bars list (last year, that was Sydney's Maybe Sammy coming in at number 22) and innovative new venues are emerging on the scene all the time.
In May, global bartending competition Diageo World Class ignited even more of that interstate drinks rivalry when it named its Top 100 Australian Bartenders for 2022, who would go on to compete for the coveted title spot.
And now, after a few rounds of fierce contest and some exceptional mixology, we have a winner — Nick Tesar from Melbourne's Bar Liberty has been crowned this year's Diageo World Class Australian Bartender.
Held in Sydney overnight, the final stage of the annual drinks competition saw five Aussie finalists battle it out behind the bar, as they showed off their skills across three whisky-focused challenges. Joining Tesar in the ring were fellow Victorian, Black Pearl's Kayla Saito, as well as Maybe Sammy's Sarah Proietti, Eduardo Conde from Glebe's No.92 GPR and Samuel Cocks from Western Australia's Bar Rogue.
The night's challenges included a mystery box-style task centred on Talisker Scotch, which Tesar owned with a cumquat-based cocktail creation, and a speed round during which the winner managed to smash out 12 show-stopping drinks in just five minutes.
Bar Liberty, by Brook James
The newly-crowned bartending king will now go on to compete in the Diageo World Class global final in September, where he'll shake and stir up a storm alongside 55 other international hopefuls in a bid to be named World Class Global Bartender of the Year.
He'll have a home-field advantage, too, with the competition to be held in Australia for the first time ever. It'll descend on Sydney as part of the World Class Cocktail Festival, from September 9–18.
For full details on the Diageo World Class Australian Bartender competition and more info on Diageo World Class, check the Diageo Bar Academy website.