On Tuesday this week Ultrapour, Suntory Australia’s premium division, celebrated the final of their inaugural Ultrapour’s Professional competition at Kit & Kaboodle in Kings Cross.

50 top bartenders from around Australia were invited to take part in the competition with 34 impressive professional barkeeps jumping at the chance to show of their cocktail creations. After three months of judging around the nation six finalists were invited to Sydney to take part in a slickly run final with Sébastien Derbomez, bar manager at Sydney’s Hemmesphere, earning the title of the inaugural Ultrapour’s Professional.

The honours aside, Derbomez, last year’s Bar Manger of the Year at the Australian Bar Awards, has also earned himself the grand prize of a trip visiting European distilleries like Jägermeister in Wolfenbüttel in southern Germany, Chartreuse in Voiron and Lejay in Dijon, France, Bowmore, located on the shores of Loch Indaal on the isle of Islay, and Hendrick’s at Ayrshire in Scotland. If that wasn’t enough, Derbomez will be stopping off at some of the best bars that the UK and the Continent has to offer with $1000.00 spending money to get that bar tab started.  

“Responsible and professional bartending is crucial if our vocation is to garner respect, particularly at a time when government is seeking to subject the liquor trade to ever greater regulation and restriction.” - Nigel Weisbaum, Club Suntory manager

Ultrapour’s Professional invited its competitors to demonstrate their bartending skills, style and above all professionalism moving away from the emphasis on the final drink found in many bartending competitions. Bartenders that accepted the challenge had to create a signature drink using products form the Ultrapour range and actively promote the beverage in their own bar.

Travelling judges then visited each of the participants to see how well they interact with patrons in their own bar environment, how professional their work attire is, how well maintained their bar is and of course to try the special drink on offer. Only the six most professional ‘tenders were invited to Sydney.

Nigel Weisbaum, Club Suntory manager, and brains behind the forward thinking competition mentioned in his welcome address that: “Responsible and professional bartending is crucial if our vocation is to garner respect, particularly at a time when government is seeking to subject the liquor trade to ever greater regulation and restriction.”

The finalists had to present their drinks, as if in a natural bar environment, to three of the toughest (but also most pleasant) customers you could possibly have lined up at your bar; the esteemed judges; Jason Jelicich from Barmetrix and one of the original bar trainers in Australia, our every own Amy Spanton, online editor of 4bars.com.au, and current Australian Bartender magazine Bartender of the Year and owner of Melbourne’s 1806, Sebastian Raeburn.

The other five finalists for Ultrapour’s Professional were: Marco Noe from Must Wine Bar in Perth, Lucy George from the Emporium Hotel Cocktail Bar in Brisbane, Tim Wastell, the independent pirate bartender from Blue Diamond and Cristiano Beretta from Black Pearl both in Melbourne and Steve Burns from Adelaide’s Sangria.

Without a doubt the inaugural Ultrapour’s Professional competition was a resounding success and one of the most professionally run competitions we’ve come across to date. Ultrapour along with everybody else in the bar trade are looking to 2010 and another opportunity for Australia’s finest bartenders to strut their stuff to see who will be crowned next year’s Ultrapour Professional.

Sebastian’s Winning Creation:

The Big Easy

60ml Bowmore Legend

10ml Aperol

Rinse of French absinthe

3 Dashes of Peychaud’s bitters

3 Bar-spoons of apricot and saffron syrup

Shaken with ice in an antique shaker and strained into an absinthe rinsed Riedel O glass and garnished with the oils of a grapefruit zest (discard the zest). Served with dried apricots and saffron threads on the side.

Click here to view all the social pix from the event.