World-class mixologists showcase their dazzling cocktail-crafting skills as they compete for a $100K prize — and the title of Ultimate Drink Master. All 10 episodes of Drink Masters premiered on Netflix last week, and if you’re a cocktail lover, definitely you shouldn't be missed out!
The contestants of the show consist of 12 mixologists, which come from different backgrounds, from established bar owners to travelling bar consultants, and even a home bartending influencer. In each episode, they have to compete in one main challenge, after which the bottom three or two have to face off against each other in an additional challenge to see who gets disqualified.
The show is starred by American stand-up comedian and actor Tone Bell, with two guest judges – Julie Reiner, one of New York’s most influential bartenders and owner of the renowned bar The Clover Club, and Frankie Solarik, known as a pioneer of the modernist and contemporary style of bartending. There were also three other guest judges, one of whom was Dale DeGroff, known as the Godfather of modern bartending.
Since it’s not an ordinary food competition show, it’s somehow appealing as it’s all about the drinks. The challenges range from making a simple twist on the Margarita, to constructing a flight of drinks using three different spirits. There were some that revolved around specific ingredients, such as botanicals or fruits, while another one had the contestants create a cocktail that would pair with a specific dish.
Most interesting part was the fruits challenge where one of the fruits was durian, Malaysian’s favourite! Since the bartender who chose that particular fruit for his challenge failed pretty miserably, it has made me to wonder whether any of our own Malaysian bartenders would have done better with it.
However, most part of the show was spent in the kitchen, preparing ingredients, playing around with all sorts of fancy techniques, but not so much of it was spent having the bartenders.
Nevertheless, compare to other food reality shows, Drink Masters is compelling enough to keep you watching, and maybe finishing all 10 episodes in one go, especially if you’re a fan of cocktails.
