Some of New Zealand’s best drink creators converged in Auckland this week for judging of the New Zealand World Class Bartender of the Year awards. Wellington’s Kneale Brown was crowned champion on Saturday night and will now represent New Zealand in next month’s World Class Global Finals in Miami.
A 27-year-old Englishman who made a cocktail with just three ingredients has been named New Zealand's Bartender of the Year.
Kneale Brown, a bartender at Matterhorn in Wellington, was crowned the winner of World Class Bartender of the Year yesterday after the three-day final of the competition.
He will representNew Zealand at the "Olympics of bartending", the Diageo World Class Global Finals in Miami in September.
Beverage company Lion Co will prepare Brown for the event and also support him to open a bar in Auckland.
If you have great products, you'll have great flavour. A cocktail is only as good as its weakest ingredient.
One of the drinks Brown, who is originally from Newcastle, made for the final was "Sea to Skye", a cocktail made of just Talisker Whisky, Carbenet Sauvigon and Verjus.
"I don't like how the industry tends to over complicate things. Taste is non-linear," he said.
Brown said it would be "extraordinarily scary" putting his 13 years of bartending to the test against the world's best.
"But it's an absolute honour to represent New Zealand. I hope I can bring something back for this wonderful nation.