The local bar is once again part of the Oscars of the bar world.
It might have been the year of home-delivered booze and bottled cocktails sipped on the couch — but in spite of it all, one resilient local bar has continued to bring the goods with their commitment to providing the people of Geelong one of the most spectacular drinking experiences they’ve ever had.
Geelong’s famed 1920s Prohibition-style cocktail bar, The 18th Amendment, are clearly onto a winning recipe, evident by the number of finalist nominations they’ve received in the Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards.
The key takeaways
- The local cocktail bar has been announced as a finalist in five categories in the Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards
- The Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards are the top awards in the country
- Winners will be revealed in September in Sydney
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Announced on Tuesday, the local cocktail bar has been announced as a finalist in five categories (out of the 12 available) – a record number for the small business that have seen previous success in the awards over the years.
Voted by the bar industry, the categories the Geelong bar were nominated in include Best Regional Bar, Best Bar Team, Host of the Year (Ana Mitchell), and Manager of the Year (Damien Kos-Beckwith), while their venue in Ballarat also received a nod with a nomination for Rookie Bartender of the Year (Dane Solly).
The Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards are the top awards in the country and are a celebration of the tastemakers and booze shakers in every state. The Australia bar scene is more innovative than ever more, making the 18th Amendment Bar’s continued success something truly special for our region.
Founded by Australian hospitality veteran, Gorge Camorra, 18th Amendment Bar draws inspiration from the speakeasy movement from the 1920s and 30s, specifically named after the amendment of the United States Constitution that effectively started the prohibition of alcohol. From unusual ingredients, including Camorra’s own range of liqueurs, to the hundreds of spirits behind the bar and the house-concocted barrel aged cocktails, 18th Amendment has been a unique addition to the Geelong bar scene since opening four years ago. With a desire to bring the cocktail culture to surrounding regional areas, Camorra decided to bring this unique experience to Ballarat last year, which is often described as Victoria’s next biggest regional centre. The speakeasy has since celebrated cocktail culture while educating the consumer, presenting the classics with a contemporary twist.
Raising the bar on cocktail offerings, creating venues like we have never had before, Camorra and his team continue to innovate and deserve to be recognized for their outstanding contribution to the Australian bar industry.
Congratulations team and good luck to these local legends for the finals in September.
The Bar Awards will take place on Tuesday the 21st of September this year at Doltone House as part of Sydney Bar Week. You can view the full list of awards and finalists in the 20th Annual Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards for the best bars, bartenders and operators here.
