Najee Bascoe named top bartender at Jamaica Bartender Week

It’s a timeless tradition for one man to calculate, formulate and serve spirited sensations from behind a counter. These days, even women have come to the fore, blending the way many view and experience this beautiful artform. For the recent Jamaica Bartender Week Expo, held at the Police Officer’s Club in St Andrew, three mixologists made it to finals for the chance to be the island’s top bartender. In the end, it was Najee Bascoe who emerged as the victor.

“It feels great to take this win. The last competition I entered, I placed third. I learned a lot from that experience, and promised myself that the next time around, it would be bigger and better,” Bascoe, winner of the Jamaica Top Bartender Competition, told Food.

Since commencing his training at HEART Academy in St Ann, Bascoe knew that his calling would be behind the bar. He officially began his bartending journey overseas and has been mixing things up for four years and counting. The professional caught wind of this competition and decided this year would be his time to enter. “My aim going in was to be a participant, learn from the other bartenders and encourage them as well,” he added.

With a vibrant cocktail culture, eight bartenders were challenged to put their knowledge, taste, skills, and presentation to the test. With five going through to the semifinals, three flavour masters made it to the final round.

“Contestants were judged on a variety of factors, including taste and balance, presentation, and originality, with the category challenges pushing bartenders to create signature cocktails using local Jamaican ingredients. The final category mandated the use of our own Appleton Estate Reserve Blend 8-y-o with ginger and june plum,” Jamaica Union of Bartenders and Mixologists Limited Chairman, Dr Debbian Spence-Minott, highlighted.

For the preliminary round, this seasoned bartender awakened taste buds and got the judges to take notice with his drink, buried treasure. This gin and pineapple juice combination also had a fusion of coconut rum and Aperol aperitif in the mix. “This round was pretty good. I was confident with the drink I came up with and pleased with the presentation. I searched various candy stores around Kingston for those gold coins. And the representation of the sand was achieved through blended Ovaltine cookies.”

Last year’s winner, Dwayne Johnson, who was looking to defend his title, placed second in this year’s competition. With over five years of experience under the belt, Johnson was always passionate about being in the mix as a patron. The moment he stepped behind the bar, life as he knew it, changed for the better, “I consider myself the Usain Bolt of bartending. I’m very creative and a quick thinker when it comes to making mixes.” He presented his ‘spicy pop’ drink during the preliminary round of the competition.

For mixologist Shennel Hunter, who has been in the mix for five years, drinks were always aesthetically pleasing to her. Over time, however, she found herself developing a pure love for the art of bartending and hasn’t looked back since. For the preliminary round, she made a deconstructed Vietnamese tea made with Appleton Estate Signature Blend, paying homage to her Indian roots. Although she was on the hunt for the top prize, she came third in the bartending competition.

But it was Bascoe who stole the show on the final rounds with his mixes, ‘all jerked up’ and ‘drunken monkey’, incorporating a mini makeshift jerk pan for the former and a stuffed monkey toy in the presentation of the latter.

Grateful for the support of title sponsor, J Wray and Nephew, Dr Spence-Minott was also able to enlist CPJ, Serge Milk, Court Business Solutions and Solid Ice Ja, among others, who helped to make the event a sweet success.

Known for the bartender expo, Jamaica Bartender Week, which ran from March 17-23, extended its elevation of the bartending experience with other key components throughout the week. “From educational workshops to tasting experiences, Jamaica’s best bartenders gathered to network, share knowledge, and celebrate their craft. Highlights included seminars and workshops featuring industry professionals. The week also featured a series of community bar visits across Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth,” Dr Spence-Minott added.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com