Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/737871
www.cheersonline.com 7 October 2016 • DRINK CULTURE PARISIAN MIXOLOGIST NAMED DIAGEO'S WORLD CLASS BARTENDER France's Jennifer Le Nechet made history in September as the fi rst woman to be crowned the global winner of Diageo's annual World Class Bartender competition. Le Nechet, who hails from Café Moderne in Paris, emerged victorious after a four-day competition in Miami Beach, FL. She topped 56 other bartenders who had advanced to the global fi nals by winning Diageo's World Class champi- onships in their home countries. Nearly 10,000 bartenders worldwide had entered the competition, which is now in its eighth year. Each challenge in the Miami fi nal highlighted a differ- ent bartender skill. These included technique, personality, spirits knowledge and how well they perform under pres- sure in a speed round. In the last round of the 2016 World Class competition, the fi nal six contestants had to create their own pop-up bars in just 24 hours. Le Nechet took fi rst place in that category with her Steampunk-themed bar (shown above). That win helped her achieve her overall victory. As the World Class Bartender winner, Le Nechet now serves as Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador. She will travel the world judging competitions and making bespoke drinks. Le Nechet also becomes the eighth member of the World Class Hall of Fame. TUJAGUE'S, BIRTHPLACE OF THE GRASSHOPPER COCKTAIL, TURNS 160 Creole restaurant Tujague's in New Orleans is celebrating its 160th anniversary in 2016. Not only is Tujague's the birthplace of brunch and home to the oldest stand-up bar in the U.S., it's where the Grasshopper and Whiskey Punch cocktails were created. Tujague's opened adjacent to the city's fi rst public market in 1856, making it New Orleans' second-oldest dining institution. Antoine's, which opened in 1840, is the oldest. Local workers would come daily to Tujague's to enjoy a mid-day "butcher's breakfast," now known as the tradition of brunch. Renown for its spicy shrimp remoulade, Tujague's has served presidents–Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower and France's De Gaulle–as well as such notables as Cole Porter, O. Henry, Diane Sawyer, Harrison Ford and Ty Cobb. The restaurant is on the National Culinary Heritage Register, which honors culinary traditions, inventions, products, processes and establishments at least 50 years old that have contributed to the development of American foodways. The Grasshopper was created by Tujague's co-owner Philip Guichet in 1918. Guichet entered his frothy, minty creation in a na- tional cocktail contest in New York that year, and the Grasshopper placed second. Upon his return to New Orleans, the Grasshopper became a Tujague's favorite and remains popular today. Here's Guichet's recipe. Gr asshopper ¾ oz. Green crème de menthe ¾ oz. Creme de cacao ¾ oz. White crème de menthe ½ oz. Brandy ¾ oz. Heavy cream ¾ oz. Whole milk ½ tsp. Brandy Combine all ingredients, except brandy, in a cocktail shaker fi lled with ice. Shake vigorously, strain into a Champagne fl ute and top with brandy. Recipe courtesy of Tujague's Cookbook: Creole Recipes and Lore in the New Orleans Grand Tradition by Poppy Tooker, Pelican Publishing Co. 2015.