Josh Mellet

"Outside of my love for hospitality, I truly want to make a difference in the world. I had the pleasure of teaming up with Watergen, an Israeli hi-tech company that has created technology that turns air into clean drinking water. This is the answer for the global water crisis. Through this challenge and my cocktail, I want to spread awareness of this technology to my bartending community because now everyone in the world can make a difference. As bartenders, we understand the importance of access to clean drinking water, which is why I used this technology for all my home-made ingredients in the World Class Competition.

All proceeds of my cocktail will go towards sponsoring this technology to people in need around the world. Hopefully other bartenders will invest in this equipment in order to lower the amount of water usage in their in their communities as well as be inspired to help provide this equipment to the people around them.

As for my drink inspiration. I love Bloody Mary's and you can't make a good one without Ketel One. Coming from a hot country, I wanted to re-imagine this classic. I incorporate another Israeli invention which is the Cherry Tomato. Cherry Tomatoes have a bright sweetness to them and pairing it with familiar flavours of the Middle East like Zaatar Leaf made for the perfect flavour combination. I wanted to take the cocktail I love and put a light, refreshing twist on it by turning into a savoury highball."

Cherry Mary

Glass: Highball
Garnish: Zaatar Flower
Method: In a high ball, combine 45ml Ketel One, 15ml Zaatar Leaf Distillate, 22.5ml re-distilled lime cordial, 3 drops of saline solution, 100ml Clarified Cherry Tomato Soda. Lift cocktail to fully incorporate the soda. Finish with a clear ice spear and garnish with a single Zaatar flower bud.
Ice: Ice spear

Ingredients:
45 ml Ketel One Family-Made Vodka
1.5 ml Saline solution
22.5 ml Re-Distilled lime cordial
15 ml Zataar Leaf Distillate
100 ml Clarified Cherry Tomato Soda

To make Saline Solution:
20% salt to water.
Weigh out 20g Kosher Salt and 80g water and combine until salt is dissolved in water.

To make Re-Distilled Lime Cordial:
Combine in Thermomix 200g of lime peels and 1300ml of water. Blend mixture and vacuum distill at 50C. Once the yield reaches 1000ml, combine 30g of citric acid, 20g of malic acid, 10g of tartaric acid, 3g of baking soda and 400g of sugar. Mix until dissolved.

To make Zaatar Leaf Distillate:
Take 500ml neutral spirit and blend with 30g of fresh Zaatar leaves in Thermomix. Vacuum Distill mixture at 50C. Dilute ABV to 40ml.

To make Cherry Tomato Soda:
Blend cherry tomatoes and strain out juice until your yield is 2000ml. Combine juice and 6g of pectinex into a thermomix. Blend at 40C for 15 min. Add Juice into Centrifuge and clarify at 20C for 15 min. Strain, adjust with sugar (about 60ml per L depending on the tomatoes) and carbonate.