On Tuesday 28 August Opihr, the world’s fastest growing premium gin hosted the regional final of the Opihr World Adventure Cocktail Competition in Cape Town.

The top floor of the dazzling Zeitz MOCAA at the V&A Waterfront provided a jaw-dropping backdrop for the first ever South African leg of the global competition. The revered challenge invites explorer bartenders from across the world to submit a bold and unique cocktail recipe that transcends cities and cultures and thoughtfully pairs a key local ingredient with Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin.

Six finalists from across the country were flown to Cape Town to compete for a coveted spot in the global final, where ten professional bartenders will battle it out in vibrant Istanbul for the ultimate title of The Spirit of Opihr.

The local judging panel included bar owner and mixologist Mmiso Luphondo, photographer and director Justice Mukheli and last year’s global winner Aaron Pollack from Chicago, who was enjoying his first trip to the country.

Mmiso Luphondo, Justice Mukheli and Aaron Pollack with Julian Short.

Each finalist performed a live demonstration, talking the judges and guests through each step of their cocktail recipe, as well as sharing the inspirational story behind their creation. In the end, it was Julian Short, owner of the speakeasy-style bar Sin+Tax in Rosebank, Johannesburg, that took the prize with his truly extraordinary cocktail entitled ‘Manilla’. The delicately balanced yet punchy cocktail paired Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin with Caperitif and sour fig, two ingredients unique to South Africa.

Manilla Cocktail

Julian will be flying the flag for South Africa at the final taking place from 24-27 September 2018 in Turkey where he will be judged by an international panel including Simone Caporale from The Artisan bar in London (holder of the title of World’s Best Bar), Ondrej Pospichal of Proof and Company in Hong Kong, and Aaron Pollock the 2017 competition winner.