Fancy staying in luxury at Sydney’s Swissotel over Sydney BarShow Week? Well simply post a comment below this article telling us about your fondest Sydney BarShow memories and you could earn yourself a room at the Swissotel for four nights over BarShow.
Whether it be meeting your bartending idol, staying in touch with the latest trends or catching up with your bar industry peers, post up to 100 words about your previous experiences at Sydney BarShow and we’ll pick a winner to stay in Sydney for free.*
* Applicants must be over 18 years of age and work in the bar trade. The winner must make their own way to Sydney. The accommodation is for four nights from Sunday 20 September till Wednesday 23 September. This prize is non-transferable. Please remember to supply your name, venue and email address.
ENTRIES CLOSE 11 SEPTEMBER 2009. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUCED 14 SEPTEMBER ’09.
Most memorable moment?
I’ve never been to the Sydney barshow… Which I think personally is a real shame considering the events that are held. I hope to make the most memorable moments this year when I come up. Attending the seminars with like-minded peers, keen minds eagerly awaiting a wave of new knowledge from the industries leaders… That and one or twelve Fernet Branca shots. BOOYA!!!
meeting Angus Winchester and attending his sessions last year has been the highlight for me. I think his presence was largely responsible for the rum rennasiance of the last twelve months in this country. He got alot of bartenders thinking
about the spirit again and for me this is the whole point of Barshow. To educate and inspire the new generation of guys & girls who are coming through the ranks.
Before he stepped up for an amazing session on the mixology stage last year, I had a chance meeting with Sebastian Reaburn (bartender of the year ’08!). I was waiting for some friends when I literally bumped into him. I realised who I’d just run down and I turned into a 14 year old girl at the premiere of a Harry Potter film. He was all too happy to answer my questions; how he’d gotten to where he had, various pieces of advice, and some brilliant cocktail tips! He re-kindled my passion for bartending and I haven’t looked back since!
Barshow Experience:
I would have to say the whole process of getting to the top 10 bartender of the year was one of the highlights of the barshow, if not of my career. From the whole exam with 120 other bartenders all sharing a passion, to being locked in a room for 4 hours with 20 of the most respectable bartenders i know, waiting to do the blind tasting, to the final Stage presentation in front of 200+ pax and a panel of judges that did make me wet my pants… what could you possibly do to impress Dale Degroff and Garry Regan?? still beats me. Any bartender out there that loves the industry should get his study on and give it a go… its the most rewarded experience you could do.
Cheers!!!
I had a long think about this & keep coming up with the same memory Zeta Bar! After the awards drinking a Mr.Riggs Shiraz , just kicking back with work m8’s just taking it all in!
Ah Sydney Barshow, where to start?
Lunch with Angus Winchester and the Tanqueury TEN guild. Cool.
Impromptu dinner with Peter Dorelli, Dale Degroff and Garry Regan. Cool as fuck.
Acqua e Vino taking out Wine bar of the year. Stonking.
Competing in the bartender of the year competition 2006, 2007 and 2008. Awesome.
Making the final ten for Bartender of the year 2006, 2007 and 2008. Awesome and really, really fucking lucky.
Last years mixology stage with those three guys who’s dinner I crashed. Inspiring.
Watching our beloved industry get bigger, brighter and smarter every year. Fucking priceless.
Margaritas at the Victoria Room. Sorry, what was the question?
Not in this to win it, but my fav memory would still be Sam Ross pouring his carrott juice out of a hollowed out carrot at the Grand Marnier comp (maybe the second bar show? I know it was at the overseas passenger terminal anyway…)
Obviously it was great to see him take out the title but seeing that moment completely changed my perception of bartending and cocktails… very cool.
I couldn’t go past this question! So many memories!
First year was 2002/03/04(?). Mark Briggs Steve and I drove down from Brisbane. Ended up in Goondawindi at 2am driving next to kangaroos. The next day got up on stage to accept award for nightclub of the year! I was hooked!
The Ginger family winning bar team of the year in 06 was very special. We had been together for so long and had always been the bridesmaid. Standing ovation and all!
Getting to meet some industry legends such as Dale de Groff, Gary Regan etc etc. Got the books, read the blogs. Now are friends, kinda cool.
Making top ten for bartender of the year is crazy. Last year 4am the day before mixology stage, about ten of us swimming in the pool on the 64th floor, Verve Cliqout from the bottle and using Herradura to steam the rocks in the sauna. Ooops I better get a drink ready!
I don’t expect to win anything. Great idea though!
The mysteries of Bar show, the 1st thing that is awesome about it: 4 DAYS OFF WORK!!!!!
As soon as you get to Sydney, you meet fellow bartenders either competing in comps or just coming along for the ride.
The experiences: learning new things eg. The craft last year had a work shop and talked about products, service, drinks ect.
Going to venues you have never been before because events are on, like bar trivia, after parties, tiki night.
Meeting the top guns of the bartending industry like Peter dorelli, dale degroff and Gary Regan.
Watching maxxium do the 7 spirits of the world, seeing how much tequila Dylan Howarth can smash down before he talks, priceless!
So many other reasons but can’t think of ALL of them right now, other than having a shot of tequila with Magally Franco, go female brand ambassadors, salud!!
It would have to be day 2 of the Sydney Bar show 2008. Early morning start at the Suntory Stand getting it ready for the days activities looking around and seeing a lot of guys/gals hung over from all the get togethers/baraward and many after parties that the top bars in Sydney put on. Great stories from the night b4 being told from stand to stand and dispite the hung over heads we had in the complex, every single person was happy, up beat and excited for what was to come. So seen as we had most if not all our industry mates hung over we decided to whip up a few jugs of Bloody Marias. I kid-u-not. everyone wanted a tast. Its what got us all through the day. and its what brought us all closer together. Viva Tequila! Barshow 09. JUST BRING IT!
Easily my favourite memory of the 08 barshow was Gary Reagan demonstrating his jigger technique at one of the mixology seminars…hold it to the side and freepour! awesome!
That and wandering around sydney looking for a decent club thinking ‘god i wish i was back in melbourne’.
Imagine it: random entry into the VIP area of Barshow 2007 – the last year it was King Street Wharf.
Martini’s served to us us by the beautiful boys (were they half naked? My memory seems to think so…), whilst my friend and I soaked it up in the spa! Life could not get sweeter……
I found the bar show an excellent tool.
Not only could you learn about the base spirits and liqueors, the history behind them presented by some of the best in the industry but you also get to understand where they can be placed in cocktails, standard drinks and on bars.
New techniques to old favorites as well as a firm base to take back to work and the patiance to the teachers of all of the education going on to answer even the most simple question with a guesto beyond any other in any idustry.
I love this event so much for the reasons stated as well as the tastings and new experiences that I can have all in such a small space of time.
My Fav experience was a few years ago it was a warm summers day or it felt that way and i walked out towards the Carlton Trailer to learn how to pour a beer from the masters and just sitting there watching them do there work in the sun and having a chat about life really typified the experience for me it was great!
My favorite memory actually started off as a bad experience. I convinced my girlfriend fly over to see me compete in the Bartender Top 10 as a spur of the moment thing, when she got to the airport QANTAS didn’t recognize her ticket booking so she had to buy another on the spot, and when she got to Sydney she left her bag in the back of a taxi and lost everything. She was there to see me compete but had to leave soon after to go shopping with my credit card for something to wear to the awards night. After the stress of everything that happened to her, plus the pressure of being on stage in front of bar tending legends like Peter Dorelli I was keen to get into town and do some product testing. While waiting for a taxi, I turned around and bumped into no other than Gary Regan! I managed to talk to him for a few minutes and he said he liked my drinks, especially the Ham, Cheese and Tomato Martini, it was the absolute highlight of my trip. You see the best part of Bar show is being able to bump into industry ledgends and swap ideas and tips and insire new drinks
My memories aren’t really memories at all. Most of it was a blur, although I can say that I was one of the best weeks of my life. My trip up to BarShow probably played a large part in the reason why I’ve made the move from Melbourne to Sydney.
My entrance is for my best friend. It’s her first trip to BarShow and I want her to have the same chance to make these memories- the waking in a strange bed with hazy memories from the night before memories, having just met and partied with bartenders from all over Australia, and the world!!
…it’s that I’m giving up the other half of my bed…. haha
Being nominated for the first time for Bartender of the year in 2007 and then going through the whole contest experience was awsome! Then heading around to all the after parties meeting some amazing and pasionate industry crew. Watching Andrew McDowells face when it sunk in that he had just won Owner/Operator of the year putting Adelaide on the map. Drinking Martini’s with Manuel Terron in the Marble Bar talking about why our individual martini’s that we were drinking were better than each others. Flying back after it all with the most inspired idea’s and wanting to put them into play when we were next in the bar.
The 2008 I moved over to London and found out that I was nominated again but obviously couldn’t make it back. And all I could think about was how much fun I was going to miss out on!
I’m still in London and this is just making me want to fly back to be there!
Enjoy Guys
Hi Folks,
Thank you so much for getting involved in this incentive and posting your wonderful comments. We have picked a winner for this incentive and would like to congratulate J.T. from the Bligh Hotel in Sydney who has earned himself four nights in the Swissotel over Sydney BarShow.
I look forward to seeing you at the show next week!
Cheers
Simon McGoram
Cheers
Simon McGoram