Jack Sotti of Melbourne’s Boilermaker House levitates into WORLD CLASS final six

After three gruelling days of challenges, the WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year top six finalists for 2015 have been announced. Starting with a field of the world’s best 54 bartenders, the numbers have been whittled down to just six, with Australia’s Jack Sotti taking one of the coveted spots.

Sotti secured his spot by delivering the competition’s first levitating cocktail during the Retro, Disco, Future challenge with his Bulleit Rye creation, the ‘Stealth Bomber’.

Commenting on his selection to the global top six Sotti, who manages popular Melbourne bar Boilermaker House, said; “When I started my WORLD CLASS journey I never dreamed of making it this far. But, from the moment the judges announced that I had won the Australian grand finals, I set the goal of making it to the final six. I can’t believe I am here…I’m elated”.

The other five grand finalists include; Viteslav Cirok of the Czech Republic, Alistair Reynolds of Great Britain, Manolis Lykiardopoulos of Greece, Ariel Leizgold of Israel and Michito Kaneko of Japan. All were chosen after an exhaustive judging process, which included numerous challenges, and were presided over by leading authorities in the world of fine drinking and experiential cocktail culture.

According to the judges, Sotti, who is competing for the second time, made a phenomenal comeback after stumbling in the time challenge, “Against the Clock”. His impressive delivery of two show-stopping challenges in the categories “Street Food Jam” and “Retro, Disco, Future” pushed him ahead of the pack.

WOLRD CLASS judge Tim Phillips

Inspired by the diversity of Cape Town’s tastes and aromas, the Street Food Jam challenge tested the bartenders’ ability to incorporate unusual ingredients into their cocktails, by matching the flavour notes of Ketel One Vodka and Ron Zacapa Rum to a duo of dishes prepared by Italian chef Luca Castiglione. According to the judges, Sotti’s cocktail and food pairing was a competition standout.

In the final challenge, bartenders were asked to infuse the spirit of three distinct eras into three one-of-a-kind cocktails – the old-school chic of the 19^th century up to the Prohibition era; the dance-floor kitsch of the 70s and 80s; and the cutting-edge trends of the future. Bartenders needed to feature either Bulleit Rye or Bulleit Bourbon in their creations, and add a contemporary twist to an era gone by or enter the new frontier of cocktail fashions.

It was during this round that Sotti created his awe-inspiring, levitating cocktail using a bespoke magnetic platform, Bulleit Rye American Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, Campari, Branca Menta and a small pinch of salt.

The display of talent and skill throughout the competition made it hard for the judges to decide on their final six with WORLD CLASS Global Brand Ambassador and judge, Spike Marchant, commenting; “Talent this year surpassed our already high expectations. It was almost impossible to predict who the top six would be because the level of skill was exceptionally high. But what else would you expect when you have the world’s best bartenders under one roof!”

The top six now go head to head today in the “Cape Town Shakedown” challenge, where they will each create a pop-up bar representing their personal vision of “the world’s best bar”.

The WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year winner for 2015 will be announced on Saturday (AEST) at a grand ceremony, which will take place at Cape Town City Hall.

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