Barney Hopes Pan Am will take him to Sydney

Image caption:  Barney Toy prepares his Pan Am cocktail for the Bacardi Legacy Competition.


Barney Toy calls himself a bartender, but the innovation he brings to the cocktail craft makes him more of a test pilot.

Now he hopes those skills and a cocktail he calls the Pan Am will help to jet him off to the BACARDÍ Legacy competition in Sydney in 2015.

“This BACARDÍ Legacy Cocktail Competition is the pinnacle of the cocktail craft,” says Barney.

“The objective of this competition is to find a cocktail that will become a classic, served on bar lists around the world, for years to come.

“I’m passionate about being the first New Zealander to get a cocktail on that list!” says Barney.

The BACARDÍ Legacy Cocktail Competition is a serious event for talented Mixologists that has quickly established itself as one of the most important cocktail competitions in the world.

It is judged by an unrivalled panel of industry experts, renowned for their distinguished palates and years of bartending experience.

However, BACARDÍ believes that it takes time for a drink to become a true classic, and that’s why the competition is done slowly, in stages in all parts of the globe.

Barney Toy is one of three finalists whittled down from a huge number of entries, with a final presentation today in Auckland on the 08th December, where Barney will have to not only show how good the Pan Am can taste, but also how well it has been accepted by the rest of the cocktail community.

Then, if he’s successful, he’ll be winging his way to Sydney for the finals.

And Barney knows what’s at stake. A previous winner of the Lewisham Outstanding Barman of the Year, he’s put a lot of thought and effort into the Pan Am, getting it onto bar lists in Melbourne, Sydney, New Delhi and seven bars in New Zealand, and known in LA and London.

“The Pan Am is designed to take you back to the Sinatra era.  When JFK and Jackie were at their stylish best and travellers still dressed up to get on a plane - the golden era of air travel,” says Barney. 

Barney Toy is looking forward to the final judging, but meanwhile is asking people to show their support on any of the social media channels, or by sharing his youtube clip: http://youtu.be/HDYYFwVXabc

But whatever way things work out, you can expect to see Barney Toy’s Pan Am appearing on the wine lists of the best bars of the world.