Words: Lisa Heald | Photos: Shed Marketing
Talented mixologist, 29-year-old Jeff Lopes is one step closer to earning the coveted accolade of World’s Best Bartender in the prestigious Bartender of the Year competition, after clinching victory in the Johannesburg regional finals held in May with his winning Guatemalan Colada recipe.
Lopes, a bartender from Legacy Hotel Michelangelo Sandton, moves through to the national final, set to take place in Cape Town from 1 to 3 July 2014. The national contenders will then go on to compete for a place among the world’s top 50 mixologists at the global final in London, from July to August.
Lopes' winning recipe was so delicious that we just had to share it with you.
Guatemalan Colada
Ingredients:
60 ml Ron Zacapa Centenario
25 ml salted pineapple syrup
15 ml coconut water
15 ml fresh lime juice
5 g each of dried lime, desiccated coconut, hickory wood chips and grapefruit zests (for smoke garnish)
Method:
• Combine all ingredients except the dried smoking ingredients into a mixing glass filled with hard ice and stir to combine, dilute and chill and strain into a glass spirit decanter.
• With a smoking gun, light the citrus, coconut and woodchip mix and smoke the decanter.
• Seal to retain the smoke.
• Serve in a sturdy rocs glass with a sphere of ice, on a granite tile alongside a coconut husk, desiccated coconut and with morcchata pineapple chunks and torch lightly to release smoky aroma.
• Once the smoke and cocktail have combined, strain over the ice sphere
