Local mixologist named winner in Africa section of global bartender challenge

Cocktail mixologist Thabiso Molonyama’s winning Nimbus Moon so impressed the judges that he won the Africa section of the Johnnie Walker Global Bartender Challenge recently.

His cocktail was a  balanced blend of Johnnie Walker Black, Aperol, orange bitters, lemon yuzu and cranberry juice. Unlike many of his fellow contestants with far more elaborate garnishes, Molonyama believes his simple finish with a flourish of ginger topped off with a couple of black peppercorns blended so well with the citrusy flavours in the cocktail that it gave him the winning edge.

There were over 200 entries across 47 countries and Nimbus Moon, the African winner, took top honours along with a trio of winners from Asia and Australasia, South and Central America and Europe.

“In my cocktail I wanted the woodiness and fruitiness of the Johnnie Walker Black Label to shine through. The aim was to showcase the versatility of the whisky, keeping it simple and yet complex in experience,” he said.

The judging panel said of Nimbus Moon: “We loved the perfect expression of simplicity it offered while playing into contemporary drink styling. Molonyama’s cocktail was a perfect combination of tannin, citrus, sweetness and Johnnie Walker Black Label,” they said.

Competitions haven't really been Molonyama's thing. He believes experience is a better teacher than theory, and this competition was a first for him. “I’m usually on the consulting or teaching side of the bar,” he said.

He shares how stunned he was when they announced him as the winner,  believing it was an April Fool’s joke. “It’s still hard to believe I really won,” said the mixologist whose prize includes a behind-the-scenes distillery tour in Scotland and Johnnie Walker Black label tasting with Dr Emma Walker, the first female master blender at the company. Molonyama can’t wait to meet the lady “who is making history” .

The mixologist is adamant his win “isn’t just for me but for the African  bartending/mixologists out there. It's finally a nod for Africa’s industry,” he said, adding this vote of confidence has been long overdue for the continent and believing the talent has been on the move for many years.

Molonyama grew up in Mamelodi in Tshwane and founded The Everyday Bar after gaining many years of experience working overseas. He first stumbled on the cocktail scene 13 years ago when he asked for a student job in a cocktail bar in Rosebank, Johannesburg. “The bartenders were flaring and throwing bottles while making drinks. I asked for a job and was hired,” he said proudly. He has never looked back.

He may be an ace at mixing cocktails but in his spare time the guru enjoys nothing more than training  dogs — especially taming vicious breeds — and visiting schools where he talks to children about caring for their pets; it's something he's passionate about.

So lets raise a glass to Molonyama.

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