Story by WA Beam Suntory Ambassador Brendan Scott Grey
For the third year running the Bin Chicken Championship is back to challenge Perth bartenders to create new systems for sustainability in the bar.
For those of you who have never heard of it before the concept is simple. Four bar teams are given a spirit and a common waste ingredient found in a bar and are tasked with finding a way to utilise the two together in a cocktail.
Each team has two weeks to figure out how they’re going to put it all together before getting behind the bar at The Mechanics Institute to showcase their drink to the public, and hospo scene alike, at the annual event.
Previous years have seen bar teams developing new and inventive ways to utilise waste ingredients such as Egg Shells, Celery Leaf, Beer cans and off wines and this year has some fresh challenges. The four bar teams involved this year are St Bigids, Volare, Hygge Bar and our hosts The Mechanics Institute. They have been tasked to make drinks using ingredients such as Egg yolks, Beer runoff, peeled Citrus (Piff included) and left-over curd from Milk Punches. Each team will have one hour at the event to get behind the bar and showcase how they’ve managed to pull it all together.
With the ethos of this event being strongly focussed around sustainability and recycling each bar team is also given a budget to buy uniforms for the event from Vinnies Retro Op-Shop in Northbridge (a St Vincent De Pauls organisation) which donates profits to people in need in the community. Being the irreverent scamps that they are the bar teams have a strong tendency to dress to impress with some wild combinations of styles. This year looks no different.
For more information please follow WA Beam Suntory Ambassador Brendan Scott Grey at @brendanscotch
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