Cask does it again with Carl
Only a short time since one of their mixologists, Shane Groarke, won the Southern Comfort Southern Showdown cocktail competition and now Cask’s Carl D’Alton is announced Diageo’s World Class Irish Bartender of the Year 2018.
The Irish Final took place in front of international and local judges and the public at the World Class Bar at Taste of Dublin.
This particular competition win also represents two-in-a-row for Cask as Carl takes the title from his colleague and mentor Andy Ferreira, the 2017 winner. Carl goes on to represent Ireland in the World Class Global Final 2018 taking place in Berlin this October.
World Class is committed to celebrating and elevating the craft of bartending with the global competition bringing together “the best bars, the most talented bartenders and the most exquisite spirits from around the world”.
Some of the industry’s most influential figures joined this year’s judging panel including current World Class Global Champion Kaitlyn Stewart, Global Cocktailian Lauren Mote, Tom Soden of Sweet & Chilli, Dennis Tamse from Ketel One Vodka and 2017 Ireland Winner Andy Ferreira. The judging panel also included a number of influential media and tastemakers who oversaw the finalists in action throughout the weekend in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens.
Competing alongside Carl were Barney O’Kane from One Goose Entry in Belfast and Alan Petrovic from Urchin in Dublin. All three finalists competed head-to-head in a series of complex challenges throughout the weekend, testing them on all aspects of the craft of bartending where they’d to demonstrate skill, passion, innovation, creativity and ambition, all in front of a live audience.
“Our new champion Carl is one of the most talented, humble and creative bartenders on the scene,” commented Diageo Reserve & World Class Ireland Brand Ambassador Nial Molloy, speaking at the event, “He brings local Irish and seasonal ingredients to life in ways we’ve never known were possible.”
On being announced as the World Class Irish Bartender of the Year 2018 Carl commented, “This is literally the best moment of my career. I just want to bring the spirit of Irish hospitality and Irish ingredients to the global stage. That’s what we do at our bar, Cask in Cork. We love our environment and all the unknown produce and fauna that’s within a walk and a forage away from us. Then we bring them to life in our drinks and food. Simple really. World Class is the dream. I have the chance to bring all of this to life; to bring our bartending culture and Cask’s ethos to life on a global stage. And Cork too!”
