Årets sikreste vårtegn er når den årlige bartenderkonkurransen World Class setter igang.
I år var 9 bartendere fra Oslo, Bergen og Trondheim samlet på Pakkhuset i Oslo for å konkurrere i verdens aller største bartenderkonkurranse, World Class.
De tre som går videre til den nordeuropeiske finalen i Amsterdam i begynnelsen av juli skal igjen konkurrere om tittelen Norges beste bartender og skal derfra konkurrere i World Class Global Final, som i år avholdes i Glasgow til høsten.
I dag møttes de 9 semifinalistene i Oslo der de skulle presentere sin cocktail laget med Johnnie Walker Black Label og et hjemmerøkt element.
Han beskrivelse av drinken er slik:
«I believe that smoke as an ingredient is as dangerous as it is beautiful. It craves bold flavours, but demands balance.
The malt flavours of the whiskey together with chocolate and the spice of the red wine, creates a round and mellow base. While the herbs of the chartreuse challenges it just enough. But it is the play between the “salty” smoke from the peat and the “sweet” smoke from the cinnamon that frames all the ingredients together.»
Han beskrivelse av drinken er slik:
«TROPICÁLIA … the idea is to add a tropical touch into the Norwegian culture, passing through a bit to the Brazilian history together with my story in Norway and adding flavours that amplify one to another.»
50ml Johnnie Walker Black Label 15ml Dry Madeira 5ml Falernum 40ml Smoked Pineapple juice 10ml Lime Juice 2 dashes Black walnuts bitters *smoked pineapple juice – smoked pineapple using bonfire method, juice pressed after cool down.
Han beskrivelse av drinken er slik:
«In the hansaetic times Bergen met a hard period before the beginning of the 1500s, and it was one of the northest stops of the hansa cities, with a lot of boat traffic mostly for shopping dryfish. Then it went a getting better and it was this time the first scotish people came to Bergen to live here, the first whiskey arrived, people started to make their own Aquavit and a the first fruit trees was planted like cherry, plum, apple and pear. Almonds and almond milk was a big food resourse in europe by this time and came along as inportant energy sourse for the sailors. Around the same time cardemom from the ginger family was heading towards the nothest part of Europe. Almond in the porridge as tradition is coming from a game they played in the 1500s wich was called King Bean where you’d put a bean in the pudding for christmas. We had peat on most of our houses and used peat to make fire to keep the houses warm. And as we know it is smoke from peat thats used in the smoking process of Johnny Walker Black Label. Today we when we take a drink in the harbour with our fellow sailors we call it Anchor Dram, wich is inspired from this time, wich explains the name of my cocktail.»
Dommerene: Chris Grøtvedt, Hampus Thunholm, bartender på Fäviken og Ben Lobos, vinner av World Class Nederland 2018, 
Chris Grøtvedt frra *ism er en av dommerene.
Han beskrivelse av drinken er slik:
«For my cocktail with ‘science of smoke’ task, I have decided to use JW black label whisky due combination with my home brewed smoky oak lager for world class cocktail competition only. Thats why is my beer named ONLY.. becouse it is only brewed for this special occasion. With combo of idea for the drink combinating beer with whisky, which has been already multiple times used, even though I am just focused for my cocktail and with hope I have tried to create ONE original cocktail… Thats why is drink called: One (and only). Cheers.»
Han beskrivelse av drinken er slik:
«My creation takes inspiration from both geographical location and from a bar where I work. Geographically, my cocktail is recreating main tasting notes and flavor profile of Johnnie Walker Black Label, it is a salute to this whisky and it underlines the greatest Whisky from Scotland. Second part of my inspiration comes from a bar where I work. At Svanen, Oslo, we use modern techniques of extracting flavors and prefer minimalistic design of a cocktail. In the first place is always flavor and with this cocktail you simply get the most of Black Label, without hiding any of it’s properties.»
Han beskrivelse av drinken er slik:
«Bergen City Fires – walking through a history of smoke Since 1170 the historical Hanseatic trading hub of Bergen has been ravaged by no less than 35 devastating city fires that wrought destruction and misery upon its people. As a city known for its iconic wooden buildings constructed primarily with pine, the scent of burned wood is a defining characteristic of city fires. Alongside with anything else that the buildings contained. Throughout history Bergen has been the hometown of many fortune seeking nationals from countries including England, Germany and the Netherlands. They all brought distinct cultural features that has defined modern Bergen. In addition the frequent city fires laid set the premise for the urban planning and architecture. This cocktail distills 1000 years of Bergen history into a glass.»
Hun beskrivelse av drinken er slik:
«Northern Samurai For thousands of years flavours and inspiration have travelled between Europe and Asia, with ships by the roaring sea or brought back and forth along the silk road by walking merchants. My cocktail seeks to honor the heritage this exchange has created and allow Asian inspiration – the delicious flavour of smoked mango, the freshness of yuzu sake, and the spicy kick of wasabi – to enhance and strengthen the robust and smoky flavours of the Johnnie Walker Black Label.»
Dette var de syv semifinalistene. Etter en times pause var det klart at disse tre går videre til den nordeuropeiske finalen av World Class i Amsterdam i starten av juli. Gratulerer til Marek fra Svanen i Oslo, Malin fra NordØst Food & Cocktails i Trondheim og Kasper Gulbrandsen fra Lysverket i Bergen!
