Orlando Marzo, bartender at , has won the most prestigious cocktail competition in the world.
Over 10 000 bartenders applied for the , and 56 were selected for the finals, which were held in Berlin. The last four bartenders, including Marzo, had to do three challenges. The first one was to create a cocktail with an alcohol selected for them. The second was a bartender speed test. And the last was to create a cocktail with unusual ingredients.
“All the finalists brought their A game, but Orlando really was on another level. The Zacapa aperitif he made for the ‘Before and After’ challenge was one of the best I’ve ever tasted and the way he held his nerve in the ‘Cocktail Clash’ finale – for me, that’s the mark of a truly WORLD CLASS bartender,” said judge.
It's not the first time that an Australian win this competition. In 2012, Tim Philips, from Sydney, was the winner. In 2016, it's a French bartender, Jennifer Le Nechet, who received the award.
