Kiwi bartender set to shake up Beijing at international comp

24 July 2012 Media Release

Kiwi bartender set to shake up Beijing at international comp

Auckland based bartender, Solei Paul, is taking her Boston shakers to Beijing after winning the New Zealand Bartenders Guild National Cocktail Competition, earlier this month in Wellington.

The first female bartender to win the national title in more than six years, Paul will represent New Zealand in October at the International Bartenders Guild (IBA) World Cocktail Competition being held this year in Beijing.

Paul’s winning cocktail, ‘Grapes of Wrath’, showcased her love of exotic flavours and was made from a base of ZUMWOHL Plum, a German-style schnaps, mixed with elderflower liqueur, sangiovese grape juice, Dubbonet and vanilla bean syrup.

Judge and event sponsor, Ulf Fuhrer, Managing Director of Zumwohl, said Paul was named champion after delivering a great performance and a truly exceptional drink.

“Her cocktail was proof that complicated isn’t always best. Solei’s drink was simple yet perfectly balanced and had great depth of flavour. After you took a sip, the flavours lingered and you could taste each individual layer of ingredients. That is the mark of a very talented mixologist,” he said.

Twenty-four year old Paul, who works at The Library Bar in Auckland, believed her understated, old-school bartending style set her aside from the other regional finalists at the competition.

“I’m not a flashy bartender. The most important part of my job are my customers. I want to make them feel at home but also encourage them to try new things. Not something too foreign, but something that expands their usual drinking repertoire and makes them feel special. My Grapes of Wrath cocktail was designed in this spirit.

“It was definitely a shock when my name was announced as winner, but I’m surprised more women haven’t won the competition before as they have a better palate for cocktails in my experience,” Paul said.

Last year’s champion, Jason Clark, went on to win New Zealand’s first gold medal at the 2011 IBA competition. Clark came third in this year’s contest with second place went to Toby Eaton.

Ends

Solei Paul’s winning cocktail recipe

Grapes of Wrath

30ml Zumwhol Plum Schnaps
30ml Sangiovese grape juice
15ml St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
15ml Dubonnet
5ml homemade vanilla bean sugar syrup

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