Dave Kerr from Melbourne’s The Beaufort & Ike’s took out the BACARDÍ Legacy Australia Final this week from Most Promising competitors Joshua O’Brien and Ryan Snedden. As the 2017 winner, Kerr will compete at the BACARDÍ Legacy Global Final in Berlin in May and will represent the brand over the next year as an ambassador.

In a room packed with viewers from across the Australian alcohol industry at Kittyhawk, Sydney, Kerr presented his Legacy Cocktail The Viento, the first cocktail in the competition to feature the BACARDÍ's Family Reserve, BACARDÍ Ocho, mixed with coconut oil, fresh strawberry and lemon juice, and agave syrup.

Kerr was selected by judges Andrew Bennett, winner of the 2016 BACARDÍ Legacy Australia Cocktail Competition; Fred Siggins, winner of the inaugural 2014 competition; and renowned bartender Steve Schneider of Employees Only, who flew in from Singapore for the event.

All competitors were judged on the name of their cocktail, inspiration, aroma, taste, appearance, ingenuity, innovation, refreshment, product knowledge, technical skills and presentation flair. This was coupled with the success of their marketing campaign in the months leading up to the final, a task which challenges each to rally support from the industry and promote their Legacy cocktail locally and overseas.

This year’s competition received a record number of entries and the judges, who whittled down the Most Promising from an original Top 50, said the calibre keeps getting higher.

“Their tireless dedication was obvious, their passion for their own Legacy saw them living and breathing passion for their cocktail and the brand, solidifying their voice in the industry,” said BACARDÍ Brand Manager Sean Blackburn.

In Berlin, Kerr will be up against winners from 39 other competing nations and will hope to put his cocktail on the global bartending map as the next Legacy. Over the next two months, he will also be promoting his cocktail as much as he can to give himself the best fighting chance before he takes to the stage one last time.

The Viento

30ml BACARDÍ 8
20ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca
10ml Coconut Oil
30ml Fresh Strawberry Juice
25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
15ml Agave Syrup
Strawberry Head for Garnish

Combine all ingredients in the shaker before shaking hard for ten seconds. Double strain into cocktail glass.

The Viento, or ‘The Wind’ in Spanish, explores the fun and frivolity of drinks that dominated the noughties. It breathes new life into drinking in a modern context that is increasingly defined by seriousness and complexity. Utilising modern processes and on-trend ingredients, the depth of flavour matches today’s refined palate. Cold pressed strawberries combine with coconut oil to deliver an incredibly fresh drink with a delightful mouth-feel and a resonance to a carefree place in time.


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