I often find myself travelling into London for events, surrounded by weary-looking suits going in the opposite direction after a long day in the office.
Working outside of that soul crushing routine is one of the reasons I love the bar industry.
My fondness for booze and creative, enthusiastic people are the other reasons. So, for me, the 42Below Cocktail World Cup (CWC) is a perfect storm.
Having spent several days judging qualifying heats that would select the three-person teams to represent the regions at the UK final, I can report that the CWC retains its status as one of the comps that everyone is desperate to win.
These days, brands regularly ship bartenders off to far-flung places, so I can’t help think it isn’t just a ticket to the week-long finals in New Zealand that account for this.
During a period in which most of the global competitions seem to place emphasis on ‘grown up’, silver service bartending, the CWC encourages fun, the ‘get involved’ spirit that makes bartenders the type of people you want to hang out with.
The theme for this year’s Cocktail World Cup is ‘Lab Experiments’. Not necessarily molecular drinks, more a crazy scientist vibe. The heats produced a great mix of out-and-out molecular madness, and more subtle, science-inspired drinks and stories.
The standard was exceptional, to the point that one of the heats I judged had the best combination of drinks and performances I’ve ever seen in a competition.
The UK finals will be epic, so keep an eye on these pages because we will shortly tell you how you can be there to witness Team UK being crowned.
Your local team will need your support – aside from winning the head to head UK final, there is also the opportunity for a wild card team to qualify. This will be judged on brand advocacy and social media activity.
No doubt Facebook will soon be alight with the various teams’ efforts to score wildcard points, so get behind yours and show them some support.
The UK 42Below Cocktail World Cup Teams (All the winning drinks will be listed at the bottom of this article).
London East:
- Terry Cashman – The Hoxton Pony
- Alex Clark – 64th & Social
- Simon Toohey – Callooh Callay
London West:
- Mate Csattos – China Tang
- Michael Stringer – The Kensington Rood Gardens
- Dan Redman-Hubley – Sushi Samba
South and West:
- Daniel Bovey – Sahara Bar, Reading
- Benji Ryde – Mix Bar, Reading
- Jolene Cadwell – Papaji, Bristol
North West:
- Max Venning – The Violet Hour, Manchester
- Dan D’Amelio – Aloha, Liverpool
- Matt Hastings – Forum Cafe Bars, Sheffield
North East:
- Dan Aeyton – Bibis Italianissino, Leeds
- Clare Morrow – Trio Bar & Grill, Leeds
- Dave West – Jakes Bar & Still Rooms, Leeds
Scotland:
- Jamie McDonald – The Raconteur, Edinburgh
- Megan DeMeulenaere – Bramble, Edinburgh
- Danil Nevsky – Society, Aberdeen
Ireland:
- Pat Thomas
- Nathan O’Neill
- Daniel Mulligan
The Drinks
Terry Cashman – Charles Up’Em
- 20ml Lemon juice
- 20ml sugar syrup (1:1)
- Dash egg white
- 5ml Liqueuer de Coquelicot
- 50ml 42BELOW Feijoa
Alex Clark – Butter Beer
- 40ml 42BELOW Manuka
- 25ml popcorn infused white rum
- 20ml butterscotch schnapps
- 25ml liquified butter
- bar spoon of caramel sauce
- 2 pinches of vanilla salt
- 60mls Asahi beer
Butter foam
- 50mls liquified butter
- 30mls butterscotch schnapps
- 6 egg whites
Simon Toohey – RTB
- 50ml 42BELOW Manuka Honey
- 15ml Campari
- 30ml lemon juice
- 30ml lime juice
- 5ml cider vinegar
- 1 African miracle berry
Mate Csattos – Purple Rain
- 45ml 42BELOW Fiejoa
- 20ml Sloe gin
- 20ml Guzu juice
- 15ml Maple syrup
- 15ml Crème de apricot
- 1 Dash Chuncho bitters
Michael Stringer – 42 Ways Down the Rabbit Hole (Sharing drink for 4 people, layered in bespoke test tube glasses)
- 650ml 42Below infused ‘turkey breast flavoured milk’
- 650ml 42Below infused ‘cherry-pie flavoured milk’
- 650ml 42Below infused ‘buttered toast flavoured milk’
- 650ml 42Below infused ‘custard flavoured milk’
- 650ml 42Below infused ‘toffee/fudge flavoured milk’
- 5 Teaspoons Xanthan Gum
Dan Redman-Hubley – Silent Duck
- 2ml Absinthe
- 10ml Del Maquely Vida
- 50ml 42BELOW Pure
- 50 Pineapple juice
- 20ml Lime juice
- 25ml lemon thyme syrup
- Burning star anise / sugar cane swizzle stick
Daniel Bovey – Filthy Little Secret
- 60ml 42BELOW passionfruit
- 15ml pineapple infused absinthe
- 15ml passionfruit and orange tea
- 30ml applejuice
- 1 barspoon vanilla paste
Shake and fine strain then smoke with apple wood in 42 below bottle. serve in big mug with all the garnishes available and a twisty straw.
Benji Ryde – Pride and Passion
- 60ml 42BELOW Passionfruit
- 60ml Spitfire Ale
- 30ml Cinnamon Syrup 1:1
- 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
- 20ml Presse Pineapple Juice
Churn above with crushed ice, double strain into half pint stine. Garnish with 42 Below Passionfruit and Limoncello foam. Sits on top of above and whole thing should look like a beer. Served with 42 Below Honeycomb Pork Scratchings and some darts.
Jolene Cadwell – The Ultimate Question Martini
- 50ml 42BELOW Original infused with Superior Jasmine Oolong Tea (Cold infusion, 4 teaspoons per 70cl bottle for 24 hours#)
- 2 drops Orange Blossom Water
- Dash peach bitters
Stirred over ice and julep strained into a cocktail glass and garnished with Jasmine flowers.
Max Venning – Honey, I Shrank the Pint
- 35ml 42BELOW Manuka
- 15ml H by Hine Cognac
- 7.5ml Sacred Spiced Vermouth
- 10ml Pressed apple juice
- 2 Dash Fee Brothers peach bitters
Short, sharp shake ingredients then fine strain over ice in a dimpled half pint mug. Top with Montheith’s Original Ale and Mozart Chocolate Bitters foam, which is made by charging both ingredients with egg white and xantham gum.
Dan D’Amelio – The 42nd Plight of the Kiwis
- 20ml Lemon juice
- 20ml Manuka honey (1:1 water solution)
- 5 Pieces of ½ inch square capsicum
- 10ml Yellow Chartreuse
- 10ml 42BELOW Kiwi
- 20ml 42BELOW Pure
- Top with Cloudy Bay Pelorus
- Garnish with a side of Gordal olives
Matt Hastings – Calm Down Dearest
- 37.5ml 42BELOW Pure
- 25ml Martini Bianco
- 12.5ml Camomile-infused Highland whisky
- 15.5ml Lemon juice
- 5ml Elderflower cordial
- 1 Dash Angostura bitters
Cold infuse chamomile tea with the whisky for 5 minutes, strain to use. Shake all ingredients and double strain into a chilled teacup. Garnish with turmeric cookies and fresh parsley.
Dan Aeyton – Paradis
- 37.5ml 42BELOW Original
- 25ml Briottete Pamplemousse
- 25ml lemon juice
- 5ml homemade grenadine
- 1 barspoon caster suger
- Passion fruit foam top
- Amerena cherry and syrup garnish
Clare Morrow – Pure Curiosity
- 35ml 42BELOW Pure
- 15ml 42BELOW Feijoa
- 5ml St. Germain elderflower cordial
- 5ml Monin lavender
- 1 Dash peach bitters
- Lemon peel
Dave West – Beloved Feijoa
- 50ml 42 Feijoa
- 25ml Briottet Creme de Figue
- 25ml lemon juice
- 10ml agave syrup
- 1 egg white
- 10ml Laphroaig rinse
Jamie McDonald – Paradise Island
- 50ml 42BELOW Kiwi
- 50ml Soya milk
- 50ml Almond milk
- 1 Small spoon of xantham
- 5 Pieces of pineapple
Blend and strain into a tiki mug, then present on a beach of edible sand. Dehydrations of pineapple, kiwi and raspberry with toasted desiccated coconut.
Megan DeMeulenaere – Kiwi Escape
- 50ml 42BELOW Pure
- 50ml home made pineapple milk
- 15ml Coco Lopez
- 15ml Age (wood water stripped from Bacardi 8 using a rotovap)
- 2 Dash Angostura bitters
Shake and strain over cubed ice in a glass mug. Top with soda water and garnish with a pineapple wedge, pineapple leaf and a fresh cherry.
Danil Nevsky – Morpheus
- 25ml 42BELOW Manuka Honey
- 25ml Aperol
- 20ml 42 Below Feijoa
- 15ml Chartreuse VEP
- 1 dash Scrappy’s Lavender Bitters
- 700ml citric acid (inside blue and red pills)
- Bundle of dried Anchan flowers for serve
Pat Thomas – 50 Degrees All Over
- 42BELOW Manuka Honey
- Yellow Chartreuse
- Homemade orange bitters
- Lime juice
- Ginger
Topped with foam made from 42 Below Passionfruit, 8 Degrees Sunburnt Irish Red Ale, fresh passionfruit, homemade jasmin tea syrup and egg whites.
Nathan O’Neil – Dawns Chorus
- 40ml 42BELOW Feijoa
- 10ml falernum
- 10ml pineapple juice
- 25ml lemon juice
Served over a scoop of Feijoa sorbet and topped off with Coca-Cola.
Daniel Mulligan, The Pounamu Sour
- 35.5ml 42BELOW Manuka Honey
- 8.875ml Benedictine
- 8.875ml Grand Marnier
- 35.5ml lemon juice
- 26.625ml pasturised egg white
- 2 barspoons Tonka Bean Syrup