Pavlova in a Glass

New Zealand’s capital city was the grand final host and inspiration for the 42BELOW Cocktail World Cup winning beverage, Wellington Fizz. American Sean Hoard, 23, wowed the judges with a playful kiwifruit vodka fizz he created by listening to his customers. Hoard came up with the Wellington Fizz, a vodka-based beverage inspired by the pavlova that includes kiwifruit, passionfruit and a thick meringue whipped from club soda and an egg white. Twenty-four bartenders from seven countries competed in a series of challenges in Queenstown and Wellington. Team USA were crowned the best bartenders in the world, with their wordy cocktail titled ‘I have too much thyme on my hands right now at this point in my life’. Team New Zealand, made up of Josh Crawford, Calem Chadwick and James Goggin, came third with ’42 Cuba St’. The team displayed a never before seen technique of ‘flazing’ — using dry ice to aerate the drink instead of flames. Their cocktail contained 42BELOW Manuka Honey, chocolate, decanter bitters, a spray of gunpowder and over-proof rums. Founder and editor of Class magazine Simon Difford said the New Zealand drink was classy, and his favourite tasting drink of the night.