AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND -- (Marketwire) -- 08/19/08 -- As the snow falls on the slopes above
Queenstown, New Zealand, forty-five bartenders from around the globe work
hard to impress the toughest audience of their lives.
The 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup is not for the faint-hearted. This annual
competition brings together 15 determined bartender teams who compete over
a period of five days to earn the coveted title as the World Champions of
the Cocktail World Cup.
The 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup 2008 is the fifth year of this annual event
that sees hundreds of people travel to the snow covered slopes that
surround Queenstown in New Zealand. Over the five days between the 9th -
13th September 45 contestants will battle it out to become the Cocktail
World Champions, taking over the throne from the 2007 winning team from
Team Vegas, USA.
JUDGE 1 - FRANCESCO LAFRANCONI
Front row at the judges table sits Francesco Lafranconi, a passionate
connoisseur of cocktails and bartender educator to many. This immaculately
presented judge is on a personal calling to elevate bartending to become a
prestigious career that carries with it a great pride and personal success.
At the age of 22 Franceso already had an impressive resume, working in some
of the finest European hotels. By the age of 28 he was heading the Academy
of Spirits and Fine Service for the Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada. In
this role Francesco has trained more than 1,500 bartenders in product
knowledge, mixology and the finer point of becoming a professional
bartender.
For Francesco, cocktail making requires the same level of knowledge and
skill required to make a fine meal, without the luxury of preparation time.
"Great bartenders have to create a masterpiece that can overcome the
obstacle of speed, and volume," Francesco explains.
For the contestants in the 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup Francesco represents
a style and sophistication associated with cocktail making of a past era.
Francesco's suave, controlled approach to his profession has not gone
unnoticed and these days he is a regular Television guest and a champion of
industry events including programs offered by the Museum of the American
Cocktail.
JUDGE 2 - JONATHAN DOWNEY
With a resume that includes owning The East Room and Milk & Honey in
London, Match Bar, Match EC1, Sosho, The Player and The Match Bar Ibizia
and now in Melbourne, the presence of Jonathan Downey as a judge at the
42BELOW Cocktail World Cup makes you wonder how he fits it all in.
In 2006 Jonathan was ranked number 115 in the GQ Power List for his
unrivalled influence on the drinking culture in the UK. This year he was
listed as the 14th most influential person in the UK beverage industry by
Theme magazine.
This man is a one-man machine who is single-handedly working his way around
the globe setting some of the worlds most respected Bars and restaurants.
Jonathan was a quick starter to join the judging panel due to the original
concept presented by the 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup. "This event brings all
elements of great cocktail making into play. The focus on team
contributions rather than individual excellence provides a level of
complexity that many bartenders would struggle to bring together."
JUDGE 3 - UENO HIDETSUGU
From Ginza, Tokyo to the slopes above Queenstown in New Zealand Mr Ueno
Hidetsugu has crossed more than the geographical divide to take up his
judging position at the 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup.
The spacious bars in the luxury ski town in Queenstown are in total
contrast to Hidetsugu Ueno-san's own pint sized bar 'High-Five' in Ginza
that boasts the most expensive real estate in Japan at over $200,000USD per
square metre.
Although Japan is best known for its Sake, a strong cocktail culture is
evident across all major cities. Hidetsugu Ueno-san is one of the new
leaders of Japanese bartending who is creating a new following of dedicated
cocktail aficionados across Tokyo.
Between 2000 to mid 2008 Ueno-san was the head bartender and manager of
Star Bar Ginza popular with the rich and famous. Cocktail making has been
in Ueno-san's blood for many years proven by his impressive array of
international awards and acknowledgements. He is also a judge at the annual
Nippon Bartender Association (NBA) National competitions and more recently
the World Cocktail Competition.
JUDGE 4 - JASON DELL
Award winning chef and culinary adventurer, Jason Dell is a former New
Zealand Chef of the Year. Currently he is Executive Chef at the exclusive
Blanket Bay Lodge in Glenorchy, near Queenstown.
Jason is a world-renowned chef who has specialized in developing his own
unique culinary identity, directly contributing to New Zealand's reputation
as a world-class epicurean destination.
Jason has been involved in the hospitality industry for 20 years, featured
in various international media and appeared as guest chef at numerous
high-end wine and food events throughout New Zealand and further abroad.
What: 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup
Where: Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand
Dates: Tuesday 9 September - Saturday 13 September 2008
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