Charlie Ainsbury takes out World Class

The World Class Cocktail Competition Australian final for 2016 has been won by Charlie Ainsbury, co-owner of Sydney’s This Must Be The Place.

The World Class Cocktail Competition Australian final for 2016 has been won by Charlie Ainsbury, co-owner of Sydney’s This Must Be The Place.

In a tough competition, Ainsbury proved to have the winning formula – no surprise given that he was also the Australian winner in 2014.

The talented bartender told TheShout late last year that he was entering the competition again because he felt like he had unfinished business at the Global Final.

“I essentially just wanted to give it one more shot because I think I’m going to regret it if I don’t,” said Ainsbury, at the time. “When I got to the top six, as soon as they announced the winner, my first thought was ‘I’ve got to do it again’.”

On his new win Ainsbury commented: “I am proud, humbled and honoured to be representing Australia on the global stage once again.”

The World Class competition is notoriously tough, with judge Luke Ashton – former Australian winner and co-owner of This Must Be The Place with Ainsbury – commented on Instagram that the challenges had seen some “Innovative, delicious and thoughtful drinks”. And that in the bottled cocktail challenge there were some “out of the box serves, from cans, bags and corkscrew bottles, standards are very high”.

The Final 25 competitors were put through multiple challenges including a speed round and a challenge based around Ketel One Craft and inspired by the 325 years of the Nolet distillery.

Each challenge was hosted and judged by a panel of local and international experts including founder of award winning London bars White Lyan and Dandelyan, Ryan Chetiyawardana; 11th Generation of Nolet Distillers at Ketel One Vodka, Bob Nolet; head chef and owner of Mister Jennings, Ryan Flaherty and 2012 World Class Global Champion and bar owner, Tim Philips.

Chetiyawardana says he was impressed by the quality of talent on show.

“I’ve been incredibly impressed and inspired by the depth of bartending talent in Australia. Quite simply – their knowledge, creativity and cocktails have been World Class,” he says.

The winners of the individual rounds are:

‘Bottled Cocktails’: Andrea Gualdi from Maybe Frank, Sydney

‘Against the Clock’: Kai Moore from The Gresham, Brisbane

‘Culinary Cocktail Companions’: Edward Quatermass from Maker, South Brisbane

‘Kettle One Craft’: Jack Sotti from Boilermaker House, Melbourne 

Charlie Ainsbury will now travel to the Global Final in Miami to try his hand against the best bartenders from around the world for a second time.