Mike Tomasic was the third Aussie to come home with the enviable title of Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge Winner after competing in Trinidad in 2014. To get to the finals, he first had to win his state heat and then the national final, which is no mean feat.
As the entries are open for the next challenge that will be held in Trinidad in 2016, island2island has begun its search for the best of the best to represent Australia.
We spoke to Mike about how you go about entering a comp like this and what he’s got out of the experience.
Do you have any tips for someone planning to enter the comp for the first time?
Follow the rules to the letter. It’s amazing how many people fail before they’ve even started by not following the rules and guidelines of the competition. Use as many of the sponsor’s products as possible. And ask your guests and colleagues for their opinions on your drink before you submit it.
There may be some bartenders out there that think they don’t have what it takes to compete, what would you say to them?
Sounds like said bartenders have a case of the Mondayitis!
And what about anyone who says they don’t have time to enter?
Nobody has the time to do everything they want, but we always make time for what’s most important.
How does the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge differ to others?
My personal opinion is it’s the best prize in any cocktail comp globally; why? It’s a simple format, it encourages classically oriented cocktails without all the fanfare and fuss. For an Aussie, if you win Globals, you walk away with $10,000 AUD + $10,000 USD in Trinidad, that’s $23,000 AUD in today’s exchange rate! What other comp offers that?
Add to that the exposure as Angostura’s Global Brand Ambassador for two years; over half a dozen business class trips overseas, 5 star hotels and another half dozen trips domestically, all the while you’re being paid! That ends up being a substantial prize.
What’s the best thing about winning?
Hard to pin point just one thing as there are many! The cash prize, the trips around the word, working and presenting at workshops and seminars all around the world from USA to London to Vienna to Australia, it’s been a great ride so far and I’m only halfway through it!
Is there anything else you think people should know or you’d like to add?
Keep it simple, which is what I did from start to finish. One of my global final winning drinks, The Big Bird, was simply a twist on a contemporary classic called a Jungle Bird, the differences being that I used Angostura 7yo in lieu of Blackstrap; Fernet Branca instead of Campari; lemon in place of lime and Spiced Honey Apple syrup instead of boring simple syrup. I find the Big Bird to be a far more complex and delicious cocktail than the Jungle Bird.
My other cocktail “Olympia” was a simple twist on a St Charles Punch from Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide (1862). When you break it down, it’s simply a cognac sour with a high quality fig jam, great sherry and plenty of bitters, one of the best sours you’ll ever wrap your lips around!
Big Bird
45ml Angostura 7 Year Old Rum
7.5ml Fernet Branca
20ml lemon juice
20ml Crawley’s Spiced Honey Apple
40ml fresh pineapple juice
6 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Double strain into a fancy glass half filled with ice cubes.