IBA doles out prizes

Deep in Poland the IBA announces the winners of this year competition.

As Christmas approaches, most bartenders will be practising their festive flairing, cracking out the nutmeg, Frangelico and Mozart’s chocolate liqueur amongst the other Yuletide paraphernalia in preparation for the Christmas libations that will be gracing their drinks lists for the next month or so.

A select handful will also be patting themselves on the back and clearing space on the shelf for their new IBA trophy.

One of the prizes that has recently been awarded is the Angelo Zola prize. Awarded triannually, the prize, named after one of the founding presidents of the association, is given to the bartender whose dedication to training and educating other bartenders goes above and beyond the call of duty.

The 2011 prize has been awarded to Mr Jose Ancona, whose work has taken him to a selection of star-encrusted venues, such as the Hollywood Park Santa Anita Racetracks, as well as the IBA boardroom.

Ancona was also president of the USBG (United States Bartenders Guild) for six years from 1984 to 1990, and vice president of the IBA for 14 years, during which time he has worked very hard to establish the IBA-Panamerica, aiming to bring greater unity to bartenders across the two Americas.

World Cocktail of the Year

Other prizes include the annual The Champion of the Year and World Cocktail of the Year – not exactly the most modest of titles – which this year has been awarded to Takafumi Yamada of Japan with his Great Sunrise Cocktail.
The event was held in Warsaw, Poland, and brought together some of the best bartenders from across the world, all of whom are members of the guild. Competitors can create any style of cocktail to be chosen from these categories:

• Pre-dinner cocktail
• After-dinner cocktail
• Long drink

• Fancy cocktail

Runners up include:

Jason Clark (New Zealand)
Vasil Kolev (Bulgaria)
Alexander Rodoman (Russia)
Manolo Martin Garcia (Spain)
Mark Posluszny (Poland)