By: Jamaica Gleaner

Thursday September 16,

On Tuesday, September 7, four bartenders went head to head in the J. Wray and Nephew (JWN)-organised Appleton Estate bartending challenge at the Wyndham Kingston hotel. However, only one could be crowned national champion when it was over. And that was St Aublyn Kidd from Top Shelf.

Contestants had to use local ingredients with Appleton V/X or Appleton Reserve. The competition had two rounds and the four contestants - Gregory Shaw, Tammie-Ann Baker, Avion Gooden, and Kidd - mixed off showcasing their skills.

Kidd instantly wowed the judges in the first round with his charm, wit and innovative mixes. He also had the crowd going wild with his Herbal Fever- a combination of cucumber, mint, scotch bonnet pepper, fever grass and French thyme infused syrup, lime juice, coconut rum and V/X.

Baker, the only female in the group, held her own with her Island Celebration made of pumpkin, ginger, honey and V/X. Gooden showed off his skills with his Callaboninclusive of callaloo, scotch bonnet pepper, mint and V/X. While Shaw did, Appleton Instinct- a fusion of ginger beer, Malibu Coconut Rum, blue liqueur, limejuice and V/X.

Things Heat up

By the second round, when things really heated up, everyone got into their A game. Kidd did his Callaloo Jack - a blend of callaloo juice, ginger extract, jackfruit syrup, and Appleton Reserve. Baker made her Eye Roller - a mix of Peach Schnapps, lime juice, June plum juice and Appleton Reserve. Gooden did a Pumpkintini made with lemon grass, Apple Schnapps, pumpkin juice and Appleton Reserve. And Shaw made Passion Reserve, which had home-made passion and pineapple juice, Peach Schnapps and Appleton Reserve.

In the end, Kidd walked away the champion with the national title to challenge bartenders from other territories who have emerged winners of the bartender challenge heats in their territories.

He will face off with them in the International Bartending Challenge at Hope Gardens next month.

JWN representatives said that the event is intended to raise the bar on the exciting field of bartending and hopefully encourage our young men and women who work in the industry to recognise that 'the sky is the limit' for a professional bartender anywhere in the world.