Last week, Rohan Matmary from Delhi emerged as the India winner of the Diageo Reserve World Class 2021, after several virtual cocktail rounds of bartending competition. He will now compete for a place in the global finals, to be conducted virtually from July 04-08.The competition was launched in February with World Class Community Week - a three-day virtual programme showcasing the World Class Studio modules to educate local bartenders on current trends and techniques of the trade. It has supported, trained and inspired over 3,50,000 bartenders across the globe for over 11 years, while partnering with the Diageo Reserve collection.
“To get to this point, I prepared around 15 drinks across three rounds, and have eight more cocktails to make in the final competition. But my signature serve at the finals (in India) was ‘The Symphony’. It is a fantastic summer spritzer made from Tanqueray No. 10 with watermelons, sandalwood cordial, Peychaud’s bitters, and tonic water, garnished with a hibiscus-stained mango skeleton leaf and edible flowers,” shares Matmary, a bartender since eight years.
Evonne Eadie, National Reserve Brand Ambassador, Diageo India, says, “We received over 400 submissions for Round 1 Time & Place Tiki entry challenge. We judged on a number of factors such as storytelling, flavour and visual appeal, and then took the Top 100 scorers through Round 2. It was a new experience to plan it virtually and still allow everyone to showcase their creativity and personality.”
Talking about the edge Matmary has to compete with 55 bartenders globally for the Bartender of the Year title, Eadie says, “Rohan will also be one of the first people to visit Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh, Scotland, when international travel resumes. He is knowledgeable, creative, resourceful, able to thrive under pressure, and easily entertains his guests. These skills made him score highly.”
Matmary has been associated with Cocktails & Dreams Speakeasy, Gurugram and Byg Brewski Brewing Company, Bengaluru, and feels Diageo World Class is one of the prestigious titles to carry. “Being a virtual participant in a competition was something I had never done before. It was a ride to meet the requirements effectively amidst the pandemic and lockdown. So, I practiced in front of the camera since last year, courtesy our YouTube channel, Three Barstools, which gave me a lot of confidence to perform,” he adds.
In the third and final round, the 12 all-India finalists had to create a menu for sale. “My winning Diageo World Class on Tour menu consisted of four cocktails based on my favourite childhood cartoon show, Captain Planet. It spoke about the four elements — earth, fire, water and wind — and their portrayal in cocktails,” informs the bartender, who considers Yangdup Lama and Arijit Bose as role models in the profession. Humility and great customer service, he believes, are two important factors in determining one’s success in the beverage sector. “I am blessed to have these mentors in my life, who have always pushed me to practice these qualities,” he adds.
Of the eight drinks he is preparing for the finale, the one infused with Johnnie Walker Black Label Highball represents his family roots. “This one is called the Filter Coffee Collins, which is a mix of sandalwood, lemon peels and balur roast coffee combined with Johnnie Walker Black Label. I have finalised all my drinks, recipes, and anecdotes. Now, I am working on the finishing touches and the technical aspects of the competition,” he adds.