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42 Below Cocktail World Cup Winner Announced

After five intense days of cocktail making the winner of the 42 Below Cocktail World Cup has been announced. The three-man London team took away the top honour with their "Ale of Two Cities," a cocktail inspired by the classic English Pint.

Joshua Ivanovic, Sean Ware and John Goodman spent five days as one of fifteen worldwide teams who competed on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Their winning smiles said it all as they received their award on stage, "I just can't believe it, we have put in so much effort in the last few months, so much stress. We've come to Queenstown and done things we have never done before and we've taken away the trophy -- that to me is perfect," said the jubilant Joshua Ivanovic.

The marathon Cocktail making competition is one of the most highly recognised and coveted awards in the world of bartending. The event combines cocktail making in extreme locations with the added challenge of the contestants participating in adventure activities that push mental and physical endurance.

Judge Ueno Hidetsugu from 'High-Five' in Ginza, Tokyo said the winning cocktail stood out for its originality, presentation and taste. The winning recipe combined 42 Below Feijoa flavoured vodka, Punt e Mes, Apple Juice, Nettle Cordial, Malt Syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice and Angostura bitters that was shaken and strained into a classic Beer Pint glass. To complete their cocktail creation the team fried traditional English Pub 'chips' to accompany their cocktail before presenting it to the judges.

Second placed team from Central USA created an impressive cocktail "Wisdom of the Ages" combining 42 Below Pure Vodka, Sauvignon Blanc, Chamomile Syrup, fresh white grapefruit juice and sage leaves.

Third placed Team Scotland provided a warm cocktail combining 42 Below Feijoa flavoured vodka and Pure, Grand Marnier, blood orange juice, lemon juice, star anise, ginger, apricot marmalade and rosemary.

Judge Jonathan Downey, one of the world's most influential people in the UK bar and restaurant scene, said, "I have never attended at a cocktail event where there has been so much creativity, so many new ideas, so much originality and attention to detail, it was just incredible."

The 42 Below Cocktail World Cup is its fifth year and brings together bartender teams who are selected from a series of regional heats. The 2008 Cocktail World Cup saw teams competing from France, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, South East Asia, China/Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.