Galery

1

The two best Greek bartenders are leaving for the World Cup for bartenders in Singapore. George Kaponis and Yannis Zahopoulos are the chosen winners on the Greek bartenders Championship and were given a ticket for the world competition in making cocktails in Singapore. 

Everyday they learn ingredients, exercise in acrobatics, attend conferences and seminars, participate in competitions and ultimately they will represent Greece at the international championship. They are neither artists nor sportsmen, but certainly their job requires training and a strong dose of imagination. 

It is not easy to make an original cocktail quickly and perfectly. Only for seven minutes in front of hundreds of people and under the critical gaze of the jury, the bartenders must create a great-looking cocktail, tasty and fragrant. The jury monitors every movement of the bartender and evaluates speed, accuracy and of the movements. And even if a drop falls out of the glass, the jury cuts points. When the cocktail is ready four tasters from different countries evaluate the cocktail on how it looks, tastes and its aroma. 

"For a long time I have been experimenting with ingredients and exercising to create the cocktail "Unforgettable Passion," says with few words Yiannis Zahopoulos how he created the cocktail, which brought him first place in the category "Cocktail Classic". Unlike the opinion of most people, that in order to be a bartender it is enough to be young and a handsome man, all professional bartenders take seriously what they do and invest in continuous training and exercises. 

For several decades people believe that being a bartender is a temporary occupation for young boys who earn their pocket money and it requires no training, no long term investment," commented Konstantinos Stefanakidis, chairman of the Association of Bartenders in Greece and teacher in the Organization for tourism education. 

"Flairtending" is the impressive technique that combines sleight of hand, showmanship and bartending into one and this is the second category in which bartenders competed yesterday. The sophisticated movements of Tom Cruise in "Cocktail" where a shaker and bottles rotate in the air and charm women, are only a small part of art called flairtending. 

"For years I have been practicing with various ingredients and techniques. Because it is not important only to throw bottles in the air, but to ultimately make a cocktail that will satisfy the customer. This is why the final grade is determined by the accuracy of the technique and the taste of the drink," says George Kaponis, who won in the Flairtending category for a third consecutive year. 

Gold medal for Unforgettable Passion: 

4 cl Belvedere Vodka 

1 cl Gabriel Boudier Karamelov liqueur 

1 cl Gabriel Boudier of Liquor clear 

1 cl Funkin Passion Syrup 

2 cl Funkin Pomegranate Puree 

2 cl Pago Pineapple juice

1 cl Lime