Meet the BACARDÍ Legacy Three Most Promising (and take a look at their specs)

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What does it take to craft a legacy worthy of such classic BACARDÍ cocktails like the Daiquiri and the Mojito? The BACARDÍ Legacy Three Most Promising were named last November at Melbourne bar, The Beaufort, home to the reigning Australian champ, Dave Kerr. Vini Wang from Adelaide, James Irvine from Sydney, and Zachary Underwood-Mynott from Brisbane are this year’s Three Most Promising, and we asked them a little about their Legacy ahead of the national final in February.

Vini Wang – Hains & Co., SA

 
Vini Wang, of Adelaide’s Hains & Co. has been bartending for two years, having studied winemaking and working as a chef. His drink, Aja, has its roots in the culture of his native Korea, he says.

“‘Aja’ the word is an expression in Korean, almost an equivalent to cheers in Australia, but it has a little deeper meaning to it,” Wang says. “Normally it’s used to cheer when people are successful at what they do, but at the same time, aja is a kind of a pat on the back of someone who is going through something.

“It was a word my father used to say to me while I was in Australia. I’ve been living in Australia alone for about four years, and yeah, every time I had any ups and downs, my father used to use the word aja to help me overcome, and keep in a good direction.”

James Irvine – The Swillhouse Group, NSW

 
James Irvine is no stranger to BACARDÍ Legacy, having made the national final in the competition’s first year in Australia back in 2014. For Irvine, it’s important that his Legacy drink can be replicated around the world and for his campaign to pay tribute to those who inspire him.

“There’s so many people I look up to, and it spreads beyond just the bartender as well,” he says. “There are chefs, graphic designers, pretty much everything that goes into the end product that we do on a day to day basis.”

And what about that rosemary oil? It helps the “body, mouthfeel, and texture of the drink,” he says. “Playing around with oils is really good for that; and also, it’s a flavour bomb. Rosemary as an ingredient is used synonymously across cultures, whether it’s mum’s roast or a midnight Cuban sandwich.”

Zach Underwood-Mynott – Canvas Club, QLD

 
Zach Underwood-Mynott’s Legacy drink offers people an escape from the everyday, and an opportunity to find their place in the world.

“It’s a drink a that appeals to people escaping their life and finding comfort and excitement in something different. It’s a holiday style drink, a twist on the Pina Colada,” he says.

But to Underwood-Mynott it’s more than just a drink.

“For me personally, I’ve lived in all different places. I’ve travelled a whole bunch,” he says. “I kept trying to find my own version of an escape and I think I’m still in a way searching for it. I’m inspired by the idea of my drink giving people the opportunity to find the courage to escape and find their own place, because I’m still trying to find mine. I hope my drink has the same effect on me as it will on the clientele.”