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Time Out Shakedown 2011

Cocktail Bars

Time Out delivers the knockout event of 2011!

First published on 10 Jun 2011. Updated on 1 Jul 2011.

More than 250 Sydney tastemakers turned out last night at The Loft to see the best bartenders in town duel in the inaugural Time Out Shakedown cocktail competition.

From over 50 entries, five finalists were chosen to contest the main event Shakedown – Rockpool Bar & Grill’s Ben McFarlane; Eau de Vie’s Max Greco; Victoria Room’s Lee Potter Cavanagh; Porteno’s Neilsen Braid and Stitch’s Matteo Fabbris.

Each contender battled on stage and behind the bar. After five riotous rounds, one winner stood tall in the public’s voting – Neilsen Braid, whose warm cocktail "My High Tea" mixed Junipero gin, Earl Grey tea, chamomile bitters, lemon peel twists and cloves.

Neilsen took home the Shakedown Heavyweight belt, but also scored a $600 bottle of Armand de Brignac and “a day in the life of a rock star”, starting with a chauffeur-driven tour of Sydney in a classic Australian cruiser, the 1964 EH Holden Premier, provided by My Sydney Detour, and ending with dinner-for-two at Neil Perry’s Spice Temple restaurant.

In addition to the five one-night-only Shakedown cocktails – made with the likes of Babicka wormwood vodka; Sazerac rye; Buffalo Trace bourbon; Junipero gin and Patron tequila – guests quaffed Green Fairy punch, Stoneleigh and Donny Goodmac wines as well as Little Creatures beer, all of which flowed freely through the night.

Little Big Rocket’s Stacy Batchelor compered the event while 34B’s knockout burlesque performers Bella Pistol and Holly J’aDoll made splendid Ring girls for the boxing ring provided by a1WayProduction/Ace Props.

For interviews, images and more information on the 2011 Time Out Shakedown call Time Out Publisher, Angus Fontaine on 02 8239 5901.