Two Queensland bartenders have taken out the spring and summer rounds of Diageo’s World Class Drinking Steeped & Spritzed competition. World Class Drinking competitions are run with Diageo on-premise customers and the winners this year were Adam Bastow from Black Coffee Lyrics on the Gold Coast and Tristan Green from Canvas Bar in Brisbane.

The competition tested bartenders’ ability to create a batched cocktail using a specially designed World Class Drinking draught cocktail kit inspired by the duo behind New York bar PDT, Jim Meehan and Jeff Bell.

Over 150 entrants took part in the first two rounds of Steeped & Spritzed, which is quickly becoming Australia’s most hotly contested batching competition. Batching has taken off across the US bar scene over the last few years and is a trend that is being seen more and more in bars around this country because of its ability to produce signature cocktails in a short amount of time.

Adam’s winning cocktail ‘The Don Cantaloupe’ used Diageo’s Bullet Rye whiskey, while Tristan came up with an innovative recipe ‘The Don Cantaloupe’ featuring Don Julio Reposado tequila. Judges were impressed with the efficiency of Tristan’s cocktail, which can easily be made pre-shift and then served using the Steeped & Spritzed kit.

As winners, both will be given the opportunity to visit the home towns of two Diageo owned spirits. Adam will have the opportunity to go to the home town of Bulleit whiskey in Kentucky, as well as a VIP bar tour of New York’s finest cocktail bars while he’s in the US. Adam will be hosted by Jeff Bell and former Diageo World Class USA winner.

Over in The Netherlands, Tristan will be taken to the Nolet distillery in Schiedam early next year to see how Ketel One Vodka is made.

Second and third place winners will receive a copper carbonation keg for batching, steeping and spritzing in their venues.

STEEPED & SPRITZED TOP TEN – SPRING

Adam Bastow – Black Coffee Lyrics, Gold Coast (1st place winner)

Kitty Gardner – Black Pearl, Melbourne (2nd place winner)

Max Gurtler – Rockpool, Sydney (3rd place winner)

Paul Hammond – The Beaufort, Melbourne

Andy Galloway – 1806, Melbourne

Hugh Taylor – Cobbler, Brisbane

Steve Fanning – Sake, Brisbane

Phil Gandevia – Bentley, Sydney

Alyce Murphy – The Animal, Sydney

Mattia Arnaboldi – Stitch, Sydney

STEEPED & SPRITZED TOP TEN – SUMMER

Tristan Green – Canvas Bar, Brisbane (1st place winner)

Mitch Wilson – Henrietta Supper Club, Sydney (2nd place winner)

Sacha Leonard – Double Happiness, Melbourne (3rd place winner)

Alex Carter – Waterman’s Lobster Co, Sydney

Kitty Gardner – Black Pearl, Melbourne

Hugh Taylor – Cobbler, Brisbane

Nick Royds – Maker, Brisbane

Andrew Watson – O Bar & Dining, Sydney

Ryan Gavin – Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney

Jeremy Earnshaw – Mamasan, Gold Coast

Image: Tristan’s winning cocktail ‘The Don Cantaloupe’