Matthieu Duval makes ‘Istry’ as first King of Cocktails
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Sporting a winning smile while mixing his signature drink, entitled bare essentials, Matthieu Duval moved on to the second round and was subsequently crowned the King of Cocktails.
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Shawn Smith is seen in mixing mode, making his rendition of the crimson cane.
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Dwayne Johnson took his audience and judges on a trip with a spirited walk on the beach and placed second for his efforts.
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The 109 Parkspresso.
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Posing proudly with her signature mix, the 109 Parkspresso, Shennel Hunter was the only queen in the deck vying for the title of King of Cocktails. She placed third following two rounds of competition.
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Looking to shake things up in the competition, newcomer to the mixing scene Maliek McCarthy presented Worthy is the journey, which was inspired by the dark and stormy signature drink.
Five flavour specialists celebrated Bartender Week on Tuesday night with a mix-off on the rooftop of 100 Restaurant. After two rounds, Matthieu Duval, who put on a showstopping performance, was crowned the first-ever Worthy Park King of Cocktails.
His cocktail, cleverly named bare necessities, combined Worthy Park 109, banana coffee cordial and Angostura bitters in a refreshing yet bold blend that set it apart.
“This is my first win, so it feels good. There were a lot of sleepless nights coming into the competition, so I’m really happy with the outcome,” Duval told Food, as he held back tears of joy.
Using only three ingredients, the cocktail’s beauty lay in its complex simplicity. “I carbonated the drink before it was sent off to the judges for tasting, just to give it an interesting texture when I was serving,” he revealed.
The ice, he explained, was also a key component in the mix: “I crushed the ice because ice is also an ingredient used to make sure the cocktail was well diluted and well appreciated.” Then, to top things off, drops of saline were incorporated as well. “Just like cooking, when you add some salt to your food for flavour, I did the same thing for this drink.”
Audience members got the chance to whet their palates as samples of each drink circulated around the open-air venue. Attendees could be seen raving about the exquisite flavours of Duval’s mix. And the judges confirmed their views, speaking to the elevated experience in a glass.
For the second round, Duval worked with the mystery basket items: mango puree, tamarind juice and mint, incorporating bitters and iced tea all the way to the finish line to collect the top prize.
Duval confessed that he wasn’t as pleased with that round, sharing that he felt he could’ve done more to make the drink magical. “I focused on making it balanced. Unfortunately, it sat for a long time, so it got watered down, but because it was at a baseline balance, it did pretty well when it came out, so I’m happy about that.”
This win could not have come at a better time for the molecular mixologist who is celebrating three years in the industry with his brand, Istry. “This is Istry month, so I wanted this win.”
His goal, moving forward, is to raise the bar and show that Jamaicans have the talent, ability, capability, knowledge and skills to meet the international standard or elevate those standings. “If we put our minds to it, we can lead the Caribbean. The goal is to get on the 50 best mixologist list. The day I do that, I’ll be happy.”
The battle of the best continued with Dwayne Johnson, who took those present on a walk on the beach, setting the scene with a painting of the sun, sand and sea, the shells and the beach babe, served in a delightfully shaped glass.
“The first drink was made with Worthy Park 109, lime juice, simple syrup, strawberry mix with lychee, and peach, pimento and thyme,” he shared.
Achieving that right balance of sweetness and spices secured him a seat for round two, where he wowed the judges once again with his presentation.
From the mystery items, he utilised the ginger extract, mango puree and tamarind, fusing them with lime juice, simple syrup and the Worthy Park 109. “I’m always trying to do the extraordinary,” he said, adding that even though he fell short of first place, he is grateful to walk away with the silver.
The only queen of the deck, Shennel Hunter, impressed the judges from the very start when she cleansed their palates from the previous drink with water and lime juice.
From there, she rolled out the red carpet with her 109 Parkspresso, a luxurious drink which gave invitees all the perks they needed to turn the festive event up a notch. During the mystery mix-off, she incorporated coconut milk and mango puree into her final drink, but the judges’ comments highlighted the incohesion of the cocktail. This landed Hunter in third place.
It would be remiss not to mention Maliek McCarthy, who created Worthy is the journey, inspired by the signature dark and stormy drink. While the samples distributed to the audience were enjoyable to sip, the judges found inconsistencies in the finished product from the live demonstration. And for Shawn Smith, his crimson cane packed such a mighty punch that some of the ingredients ended up a little too overpowering.
krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com