Bartenders mix it up at Bar Camp 2018 finals
Nine bartenders from Mpumalanga and Gauteng had the chance to wow judges and a few locals at Duck 'n Dive Saloon last Tuesday during the finals of Bar Camp 2018.
MALALANE – Locals had the opportunity to see up-and-coming bartenders make their unique cocktail creations and get a taste during the finals of Bar Camp 2018, held at Duck ‘n Dive Saloon last Tuesday.
Ian Dube, Shadrack Intamba, Henning Lubbe, Xollie Mabuza, Albre Marais, Charles Ncube, King Nkala, Charles Sibinsi and Nadia Wolfaardt camped out at the Mhoba Rum distillery for three days to learn more tricks of the trade.
This was the first year the Bar Camp was held at Mhoba Rum and organisers included Andy Kiloh of RumBro, Mhoba Rum’s Robert Greaves, Pieter Oosthuizen of Socks Tonic and Mianca Laubscher of Slojo Cocktails.
Bartenders were invited to enter a cocktail with eight or less ingredients, which had to contain Mhoba Rum and 1883 Maison Routin syrup.
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The top-10 recipes earned their creators a spot at the camp. These recipes had to be refined using the techniques they learned during the camp.
They had several classes with topics ranging from rum fermentation and distillation to cocktail techniques and even stock control.
The bartenders also had the opportunity to cut cane and see it go through the whole process of becoming Mhoba Rum.
Locals were invited to watch the finals at Duck ‘n Dive, where the bartenders only had five minutes to make their cocktail. A few added some interesting ingredients such as saffron syrup or egg whites or garnished their drinks with flowers or even burning sugar cane.
The bartenders ranged in experience and while some looked very comfortable in the spotlight, others were visibly nervous and shaky. The audience was enthusiastic nonetheless and several attendees had the opportunity to taste the new creations, to their great delight.
The bartenders were judged according to their techniques, presentation, creativity, aroma, garnish and, of course, taste.
It was a tight competition, with the winners only separated by a few points.
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While the judges deliberated, the MC Pieter Oosthuizen, and Duck ‘n Dive’s Gavin Jones each entertained the crowd by creating an interesting drink.
Marais was named the winner, with Wolfaardt in second place. Mabuza was third and Sibinsi fourth.
The top-three received cash prizes, while Ncube won a spot in an international bartending course worth R10 000.
The organisers also thanked all of the sponsors for their support and contributions to the event’s success.
Greaves said it was great to host the bartenders and help them discover the processes behind a taste they know.
“The term ‘craft’ has been misused, so it was great to show them what we do. They were blown away by Mhoba Rum’s authenticity,” he explained.
According to Kiloh, it was amazing to see how the participants grew from their arrival to the finals. He said that he hoped to see them still go far in the industry.
Kiloh mentioned that there are bartenders in South Africa that have made it big internationally and that they hope to nurture more such talent.
Due to the success of this first event, they hope to invite double the number of finalists to the Mhoba Rum distillery next year.
