US bartender wins Bols Around the World 2014

Kate Gerwin from the US has been crowned champion of the 2014 Bols Around the World Bartending Championships.

American bartender Kate Gerwin, of Bismarack, North Dakota, US, has won Bols Around the World 2014

Faced with fierce competition from more than 3,000 entries from 76 countries, Gerwin rose to the top with her cocktail ‘Brown chicken, brown caracao’, at the global final, which took place in Amsterdam on 20 May.

Webcast live for the first time on www.bols.com, and live-streamed at 16 Bols Around the World live-stream parties, the webcast audience voted for their favourite bartender to win the Audience Award, which was given to Canada’s Frédéric Lafontaine.

Inspired by a classic cocktail in the US, which can be traced back to Gerwin’s hometown of Bismarack, North Dakota with the oil boom, the American used a mix of Bols Cacao Brown, Bols natural yoghurt, spiced almond milk and walnut bitters to create her drink.

“I don’t think there are any words to describe how I’m feeling,” commented Gerwin. “I am honoured. I have been on the most incredible journey here with Bols, together with the judges, the past winner and especially the other competitors.

“Even though we have been competing hard against each other we helped one another all the time and the judges have been so positive. I am thrilled with the prospect of representing Bols for a year.

“I hope I can do this incredible historic brand the justice it deserves because it has been instrumental in not only my career but that of so many bartenders’ careers.”

As well as being named Bols Bartending World Champion 2014, Gerwin also wins a 10-day world bar tour plus a guest shift bartending in top bars in four cocktail capitals of the world.

Judging the grand final on the night were Malika Saidi, trainer of the Bols Bartending Academy; Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, founder/ general manager and bar manager respectively of The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog; Robbie Bargh, founder of London’s Gorgeous Group; Ago Perrone, global brand ambassador Galliano and Bols Bartending World Champion 2013, Rusty Cerven, senior mixologist at Connaught Bar in London.

“This year the competition was incredible as our finalists worked extremely hard to impress the judging panel with their expertise,” commented Saidi. “We were thoroughly impressed with all of the finalists’ performances and it was a very tough decision to choose one winner out of a very close top three. However, Kate’s all-round bartending skills, knowledge, creativity and innovation stood out, as well as her amazing presentation skills.”