It seems Australian bartender Adam Dow would be the first to tell you that it’s hard to get past the elegance and simplicity that you find in The Golden Rule.
Dow, Ivy Head of Bars at Merivale, has secured a place as a Top 8 Grand Finalist in the Bacardí Legacy Competition with his bespoke Bacardí cocktail, The Golden Rule. Based on the inspiration that Dow obtained from Danny Meyer’s book Setting The Table, this is definately a drink that follows the rule, in that there is no-one who wouldn’t want this made for them.
In case you are curious about what is involved in the The Golden Rule in cocktail terms, we have the recipe below –
The Golden Rule
Ingredients
• 50ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca
• 20ml honey syrup (1:1)
• 20ml Lime Juice
• 4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Instructions
Shake and double strain into the rocks glass over a large block of ice.
Garnish with 1 spritz of rose water and a red rose petal.
It was back in February 2020 that Dow was announced as the Australian winner for the BACARDÍ Legacy Global Cocktail Competition, with the final originally scheduleed in Miami last May. Bacardi has rescheduled and re-worked the format of the competition, so that it will work remotely for all the finalists and enable them to remotely showcase their hard work and talent on a global stage.
“I am very glad to be through to the next round – this competition has been a long time coming!” said Dow. “Of course, I wish this was happening in Miami but the team running Bacardi Legacy could not have made it easier for us.”
Part of making the competion easier, has been the brand’s establishment of the El Coco bartender grants of US$5,000, which has been designed to offer real financial support to the competitors. Named after the iconic palm tree planted outside the first Bacardi distillery in Santiago de Cube, which has come to symbolise strength and resilience, the grant has been paid directly to each of the 2020 global finalists upon receipt of their project idea, in an attempt to help entrants ‘seed’ their initiative.
PIN ITThe Ivy, Sydney
Knowing that all the finalists’ were going to be very polished in their video presentations, Dow knew it was key to find ways to differentiate himself from the other contestants. With the belief that good spirits always find a way, Dow sought to used the brand’s history and the following it gained from American drinkers who would go down to Cuba during Prohibition, as a parellel to the contestants inability to go to Miami for the competition. He therefore decideed to bring Miami-esque surrounds of his bar, The Ivy to his video presentation.
Loy Catada, Bacardi-Martini Australia Brand Ambassador comments, “Mentoring Adam and helping him through his journey has been a real pleasure. He is a true professional, so easy to work with and very creative. This past week Adam has been truly focused on the competition with a goal to reach the top 8.”
Catada continues, “He has created a cocktail that is a true Legacy; unique yet uncomplicated to construct. The simplicity of the drink also means that while Australian’s are cheering Adam on, they can celebrate by making his signature cocktail.”
Up against his seven fellow competitors, from Thailand, Lithuania, Cyprus, Latvia, Iceland, USA West and Canada, Dow will get the change to show how golden his drink really is, via the Grand Final Facebook livestream on Wednesday 30th June at 4:30pm BST (1:00am AEST).
For more information, go to bacardilimited.com, watch the competition live on Facebook or watch the progess via the brand’s Instagram.
