Author Archives: adminmax
Diageo World Class Western Europe Final 2013 – Madrid
Congratulations to all the contestant for being part of this amazing journey and to the 13 souls who will make their country even more proud at the Global Final.
YOU ARE ALL WINNERS!!
It was an honour organising such a great event for you all!
The entire competition and celebrations took place in the modern and luxury Teatro Goya in the central part of Madrid.
This is the second edition of the Western European World Class Competition and Madrid has been chosen, being a vibrant, artistic, modern wonderfully cosmopolitan city with an extraordinary reputation for gastronomy and drinking culture from historical bars like ‘Museo Chicote’ which opened in 1931 to the ultra-modern ‘Le Cabrera’ and ‘O-Clock’.
After two days of shaking, mixing, performing and celebrating Diageo’s Reserve spirits by 26 of Europe’s finest bartenders, the winners heading their way to the Global Final of World Class are:
Bert Jachmann, Austria
Carl Van Droogenbroeck, Belgium
Hasse Johansen, Denmark
Jérôme Kaftandjian, France
Atalay Aktas, Germany
Gareth Evans, Great Britain (also Cannes Red Carpet Challenge Winner)
Thodoris Pirillos, Greece
Mattia Pastori, Italy
Ivar de Lange, Netherlands (also Retro Chic Speed Challenge Winner)
Monica Berg, Norway (also Bartender/Barchef Challenge Winner)
David Rios, Spain
Emil Areng, Sweden
Laura Schacht, Switzerland
Click here to get a feeling through some amazing “MOMENTS” shared on Facebook’s World Class page
Below, a nice Video on Spanish Television for you to enjoy
A huge, honest, friendly, professional, human, passionate THANK YOU to Spike Marchant, Malin Möllerberg, Stephanie Jordan, Jorge Pineda & the Spanish Diageo Reserve Team and my biggest respect to the winners of last year’s Western Europe World Class who supported me, working hard behind the Event Bars and Guest Bartending in Madrid, all of us together to make this Final an unforgettable Event!!!!
Below, a nice footage of the competition
In no particular order Olivier Jacobs, Alexis Taoufiq, Jesper Høst, Rikard Enell, Giuseppe Santamaria, Fjalar Goud, Andy Mil, Kasper Riewe Henriksen, Vasilis Kyritsis, Dennis Zoppi and Armando Archundia.
Respect
Max
Diageo World Class Swiss 2013 Final – Video
..and the winners going to the Western Europe Final in Madrid are:
Laura Schacht and Aristoteles Tsinogeorgos
Well done to you all and thank you so much for Raising the Bar once again!!
As Aristoteles says…is not the destination, is the Journey
Max La Rocca
Camillo in Xela Cocktail on “The Negroni: a Gaz Regan Notion”
Here I am with my brand new Zacapa Recipe that is coming out in the new book from Gary Regan “The Negroni: a Gaz Regan Notion”
The Negroni, an elegant classic that has brilliantly survived the test of time, has always been the great companion of all my journeys.
The drink I made for this precious little book is called “Camillo in Xela” where Xela is the indigenous name for Quetzaltenango which is the place in Guatemala where the House of Zacapa is located and where this Rum is aged at 23 .000 metres; of course you all know who Camillo is…
30 ml Zacapa 23
17,5 ml Campari
25 ml Carpano Antica Formula
5 Coffee Beans plus 2 for the garnish
– Glass: Rocks
– Method: flame the coffee beans with a blow torch, add it to the mixing glass and crush them with the flat end of a barspoon.
Add ingredients and stir without ice for half a minute, then stir with ice and double strain over fresh crystal clear ice.
– Garnish: Long Orange peel attached to the rim of the glass, with two coffe beans inserted and flamed with a small blow torch in front of the guest; this to emphasize the coffee aroma mixed with the caramelized essential oils of the orange.
‘Being from Italy where coffee is a very important element of the culture, I was curious to play with the toasted flavour of this amazing ingredient, matched with the bitterness of the Campari, the complexity of the Carpano Antica Formula and the beautiful hints of vanilla, almond and chocolate of the Rum Zacapa 23 coming from Guatemala, one of the world’s leading coffee producer countries’
You can buy the book here
If you haven’t already, please take a minute to join the #MaxLaRoccaTribe to access exclusive content that will take your career and your establishment to the next level!
By joining, we will make sure you also receive the latest updates about my activities.
I am also excited to share with you straight away, my exclusive free 60-page PDF of guests’ feedback, memories, celebrations, dreams and also a great resource on how to use the right words when communicating with your guests face to face, by email, through your menu or with your social media platforms!
You can also connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and watch my Youtube Channel
TO YOUR SUCCESS!
Max La Rocca
The “Pic Nic in Jalisco” Cocktail
Reviewed from one of my recipes dated 2008 let’s bring it to life again through the delicate dark chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon hints found in Don Julio Reposado:
1 1/2 Oz Don Julio Reposado Tequila
3/4 Oz Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 Oz Cointreau
2 Teaspoons Bitter Orange marmalade with peels
Juice of one Passion Fruit
Dissolve marmalade with lime juice in a mixing glass.
Add the other ingredients, shake and double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Serve with a brown-sugar-caramelised passion fruit half.
..I love marmalade drinks, such a nice and velvety consistency on the palate as you drink them!
Or even better..why don’t we serve it on the rocks in a marmalade jar, shaken and opened at the customer’s table?
ROME IN A BUBBLE
To celebrate my recent staying in Rome, let me tempt you with a refreshing drink with a romantic name..Romantic just like Rome
INGREDIENTS:
50 ml Home infused Bubble Gum Ketel One Vodka
15 ml Lemon Juice
10 ml Lime Juice
25 ml Agave Nectar
10 ml of fresh pomegranate juice
15 ml Egg White
METHOD:
– Add the ingredients to shaker, vigorously dry shake first, then shake with ice
– Strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass
– Garnish with a Bubble Gum cut with a nice little biscuit mould
The “BULLEIT MAN” Cocktail
Dear readers, I’ld like to introduce you to THE BULLEIT MAN COCKTAIL
For this drink I’m gonna be using a Super Premium Bourbon as a base and what is different from other Bourbons is that Bulleit has a High Rye Content that makes it a spicy with a very distinctive character.
My insipiration for THE BULLEIT MAN came from Mr. TOM BULLEIT that in ’87 left a successful carrer as a lawyer and risked everything to fulfill his big dream:
Bringing back to life his great-great grandfather’s bourbon recipe from 1830 and starting the Bulleit Distilling Company.
This Bourbon is very silky and delicate at the first sip, has a nice vanilla and pralines aroma but with a rich and long finish to it.
I wanted to enhance the spiciness of this whiskey even more, by adding a little bit of cinnamon syrup, muddle the ginger, then balance it out with some fresh lemon juice, and add the egg white to give the drink a nice frothy head that will feel silky on your lips when you drink it.
Now give it a nice smiley shake!!
Always remember to Listen to the Ice, that is the alarm bell that will tell you when a great cocktail is ready!
Since I’m in Italy I decided to use some nice Italian Red Wine and float it on the top.
Then for an extra level of flavour, I’ll grind a Tonka bean on top that will give a nice vanilla aroma on your nose while you drink it.
All you have to do now is smile, relax…and drink
ENJOY THE BULLEIT MAN!!
Max La Rocca
The “Giant’s Gate” – St Patrick’s Day Cocktail
Here I am with a great recipe for you all to celebrate together (responsibly) St Patrick’s Day:
THE GIANTS’ GATE COCKTAIL
Bushmills 16yr
Lime Juice
Sugar Syrup (1 to 1)
Guinness Stout
Egg White
Cardamom Pods
Raisins for garnish
FLAVOUR PROFILE:
The drink combines the warm raisin and caramel hints of Bushmills 16yr with the gentle bitterness of Guinness Stout both enhanced by the freshness of the cardamom.
It is recommended to eat the skewed raisins while sipping the drink in order to experience the amazing burst of flavours provided by this drink.
Sláinte
Max La Rocca
