National Bacardi Legacy winner Alissa Gabriel was in Sydney last week and got a helping hand spreading the word about her drink, The Bouteiller, from NSW Bacardi Legacy winner, Christian Blair.
Here the duo answer a few questions about camaraderie, Sydney’s bar scene, and the upcoming Bacardi Legacy Global Final.
Alissa, how’s your journey been so far with spreading the word about the Bouteiller?
It has been an amazing experience so far. Having the support of the nation and the support from Bacardi’s other Most Promising contestants has been incredible, especially from Christian here in Sydney. It’s also been incredible to have the opportunity to build a profile both nationally and internationally and make global connections.
Christian, what’s the camaraderie like in a competition like Bacardi legacy?
The camaraderie, out of all the competitions that I’ve participated in, with Legacy was great and I think what sets it apart. It’s three months of hard work to get us to the same point, but it didn’t feel like a competition during that time – no one was cagey or trying to keep any ideas a secret. We’re all just trying to help each other out and everyone’s just trying to do their best. I think it spoke volumes about the Australian bar community that we were just all trying to help each other out.
Alissa: We were all pretty relieved by the time we get to the competition.
What do you think your biggest challenge will be in getting the Bouteiller into bars around the country and how do you plan to address this?
I think the biggest challenge will be covering the distance of Australia and gaining as much exposure as possible. But, for me, it’s about reaching out to friends such as the other competitors to access other parts of the country; using Bacardi and the rest of the bar community for support; putting in the leg work and making the right calls and of course pushing on social media. I can’t imagine trying to do this without social media as the coverage has been incredible.
Christian, what are some tips or insights you can share about the Sydney bar scene and how it compares to the rest of the country?
Sydney as a bar scene is evolving so quickly, although as a city, it’s just starting to find its feet and identity.
I moved here three years ago when the scene was really just starting out and so venues that are now considered old were only just beginning to appear.
Overall, I think it’s a really positive scene with more and more events happening such as the Bacardi softball competition, which got a lot of love and also Bar Week, which I think is a great example of the community we have. This also reflects onto the response we get from international guests as they recognise the willingness of Sydney bartenders to make great recommendations and support one another. We’re growing together – what’s good for the entire scene is good for the individual. That being said, that’s not different from other states; Adelaide is the same as is Melbourne.
It does seem as though the general knock off culture is stronger in other states – our lock outs have made it hard.
Finally, what are you both most excited about for the Global Final?
Alissa: I’m most excited about networking and I think the seminars should be really interesting. While I’m also really nervous about the competition itself, I’m still very excited. The two days of semi-finals will especially be a real bonding experience for us all.
Christian: I’m excited to see how Sydney will host the event. We’re showing the world how we host a cocktail competition and this is the first chance anywhere in Australia has been able to extend this to a global level. Having no pressure to perform is pretty good, too.