Bartending is not just about pouring out peg measured alcohol over ice or soda. In current times, it has emerged as a fine craft that entails a complex set of skills, a fine tuned pallet and a deep understanding of balancing the delicate flavors in a cocktail that also appeals visually when served. The British multinational alcoholic beverages company Diageo has been hosting bartending competitions routinely, and is now back with its 8th edition of Diageo Reserve World Class. The challenge will have 13 leading bartenders from across India, who will battle it out in a series of challenges to win the title of the best of the best. A unique platform to discover the next generation of bartending talent, Diageo Reserve World Class not only sets the latest trends in mixology cocktail making, but also introduces these trends to the best bars worldwide. As cocktail culture continues to flourish, in an effort to recognize and reward the craft of the bartender, Diageo Reserve World Class has become synonymous with discovering the latest cocktail trends and inspiring a new generation of mixologists to push the boundaries to create exceptional cocktails and fine drinking experiences for patrons. The winner will ultimately take on the world’s best bartenders at Diageo’s 8th Annual Global Diageo World Class Competition to be held in Miami, USA in September, 2016.
Tim Etherington Judge hosted a 90 minute Masterclass in Delhi’s Farzi Café, taking guests on a sensorial journey while taking a deep dive into World Class and its importance to the industry. Besides providing a brief overview of The Singleton of Glen Ord and single malt as a category, Tim engaged guests with delectable signature concoctions that were served with carefully selected appetizers to enhance the flavors of the cocktails prepared. Using the latest mixology trends uncovered from the current World Class India competition, Tim created interesting single malt inspired concoctions. Each recipe contains one of Tim’s ‘tricks of the trade’, together with unique ingredients to bring out the flavor profiles of The Singleton.
Here are the recipes of two signature cocktails by Tim.
| Single-Tonic | |
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| The Singleton of Glen Ord 12yo | 60ml |
| Cold Brew coffee syrup | 10ml |
| It’s as easy as it sounds. Make a Cold Brew coffee batch and then turn it into a 2:1 syrup | |
| Angostura Bitters | 3 dashes |
| Speyside Sour | |
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| The Singleton of Glen Ord | 45ml |
| Apricot Brandy (Marie Brizzard Apry is best) | 15ml |
| Lemon juice (not lime) | 30ml |
| Simple Syrup | 15ml |
| Egg white | |
Gaurav Chawla Chef – Farzi Café, New Delhi said, 
“Diageo Reserve World Class certainly sets a benchmark for the bartender to come up with their creativity & talent. As a Chef , it provides me an opportunity to pair my food with the drinks prepared by the finest bartenders across. It gets me an off-beaten track & opens a world of new flavor combinations. Moreover, Pairing in general is completely subjective; in reality perception & attitude has more to do with a successful pairing than flavor anyway.“
The Singleton cocktails were paired with delectable preparations by Farzi Café’s Chef Gaurav Chawla. The ‘Single Tonic’ was paired with Farzi Café’s Braised Lamb chops and marsh wangan korma glaze, veri grits. Goat cheese stuffed tangri kebab were served with roasted bell pepper coulis that perfectly complemented the flavors in ‘Speyside Sour’.
Diageo Reserve World Class is recognized as a unique global platform that nurtures the talent of local bartenders, enables them with the right knowledge and prepares them for some of the best bars in the world. Providing a global platform to local talent, this year too, World Class will make people care about what, how and where they drink in the same way they do about food, in whichever part of the world they are. A team of judges comprising Tim Etherington Judge, Diageo Global Ambassador (ex-India Reserve Brand Ambassador), Nicholas Ord, Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador, West India and, Varun Sudhakar – twice India National World Class Champion will assess participants on knowledge, artistry, innovation, balance, technique and visual aesthetic. Bartenders will compete for the title of the National Winner of Diageo Reserve World Class 2016, India edition.
Here’s what Chef Gaurav Chawla, Farzi Café cooked –
Braised Lamb chops , marsh wangan korma glaze,very gritz best paired with Single Tonic
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Lamb Chops | 270 gms |
| Tempura Batter | 40 ml |
| Desi ghee (clarified butter) | 2 tblspn |
| Asafoetida | 1/3tspn |
| Ginger(chop) | ½ tbspn |
| Garlic(chop) | ½ tbspn |
| Ginger garlic paste | ½ tbspn |
| Green chilli (chop) | ½ tspn |
| Tomato puree | 30 gms |
| Plum sauce | 40 gms |
| Black pepper(grounded) | ½ tspn |
| Red chilli powder | ½ tspn |
| Cumin powder | ½ tspn |
| Fennel powder | ¼ tspn |
| Ginger powder | ¼ tspn |
| Mutton stock | 60 ml |
| Salt | To taste |
| Refined oil | 500 ml |
| Asafoetida cream | |
| Butter | 1 tbspn |
| Garlic(chop) | ½ tspn |
| Onion(chop) | 1 tbspn |
| Cream | 30 ml |
| Asafoetida | ½ tspn |
| Salt | To taste |
Method:
- For the Korma glaze, heat Desi ghee in a pan, add asafoetida, add chop ginger, garlic and green chillies and Sauté for a minute, add chop onions later & sauté until translucent
- Add tomato puree, plum sauce, black pepper powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, ginger powder and salt
- Add mutton stock & bring to a boil. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes
- Coat lamb chops roughly with the tempura batter & fry till crisp
- Transfer in the prepared korma glaze, heat & coat well
- For the Asafoetida cream, heat butter in the pan, add asafoetida ,chop garlic & onion & sauté till onion gets translucent
- Add cream gradually & give a rolling boil
- Serve lamb chops with the spread of asafoetida cream on the side
Goat cheese stuffed Tangri Kebab, roasted bell pepper coulis best paired with Speyside Sour
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Chicken Drumsticks | 270 gms |
| Hung Curd | 50 gms |
| Cream | 75 ml + 15 ml |
| Processed cheese | 30 gms |
| Cashewnuts | 30 gms |
| Ginger garlic paste | 20 gms |
| White pepper | ½ tsp. |
| Cardamom powder | ½ tsp. |
| Salt | To taste |
| Goat Cheese | 30 gms |
| Roasted bell pepper coulis | |
| Red capsicum | 01 no. |
| Yellow Capsicum | ½ no. |
| Olive oil | 30 ml |
| Chop garlic | ½ tsp. |
| Tabasco sauce | ½ tbsp. |
| Black pepper (crushed) | ½ tsp. |
| Salt | To taste |
Method:
- Marinate the chicken drumsticks with ginger garlic paste & salt. Keep it aside in the refrigerator for at least half an hour
- Meanwhile, prepare the second marination by mixing hung curd, 75ml cream & processed cheese. Mix well with the palm of the hands, add cashew-nuts paste, white powder, cardamom powder & salt. Coat the Chicken drumsticks with this marination
- Keep in the refrigerator for another hour
- Prepare the goat cheese mixture by adding 15 ml cream to 30 Gms of Goat cheese. Mix well
- For roasted bell pepper coulis, apply olive oil to red & yellow capsicum & let it roast in Tandoor (clay oven) until completely charred
- Let the capsicum gets cooled & remove the charred skin thereafter.
- Blend the capsicum with olive oil, chop garlic, Tabasco, black pepper & salt
- Take out the chicken drumsticks from the refrigerator & cook in Tandoor
- Coat with the goat cheese mixture and serve with the roasted bell pepper coulis
