Celebrate The Perfect Pour In New Zealand

Showcasing a ritual that provides sensory-pleasing rewards, some of the country’s most skilled and charming bartenders will meet in Auckland on Friday, September 10 for the New Zealand finals of the 2010 Stella Artois World Draught Masters competition.

Now in its 14th year, the annual Stella Artois World Draught Master competition epitomizes the brand’s dedication to delivering superior beer the world over and showcases the unique Belgian experience that Stella Artois aficionados have enjoyed for more than six centuries.

Competing for a slot in the 2010 World Draught Masters Global Finals in Old Billingsgate, London, on October 28, the 15 finalists will demonstrate their beer-serving prowess before a panel of distinguished local judges, who will carefully scrutinize each and every phase of the Stella Artois 9-Step Pouring Ritual.

In Auckland, 15 bartenders will compete together at Number 1 Queen Street to compete for the national title. Regional finals were held at the beginning of August in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. Bartenders around the country begin training months in advance, with the best from each bar being put forward for the competition. Each finalist will be judged on strict criteria for their precision, technique and presentation skills.

The 15 New Zealand finalists who will be competing in Auckland are:
Harriet Fenwick (Christchurch)
Craig Campbell (Christchurch)
Callum Chalmers (Christchurch)
Stuart R Vial (Christchurch)
Nichola Clark (Christchurch)
Maxine McKeage (Manawatu)
Nick Van Hattum (Wellington)
Tim Jurie (Wellington)
Fiona Stanton (Auckland)
Ian Murphy (Gisborne)
Ryan Gill (Auckland)
Michael Huitema (Hamilton)
Brodie Kay (Auckland)
Romana Pozza Bos (Auckland)
Paul Hemaloto (Auckland)

In London, the Draught Master crowned in Auckland will rendezvous with the other 32 countries to perform the centuries-old Belgian Pouring Ritual and vie for the chance to be crowned the 2010 Stella Artois World Draught Master.

New Zealand has won the World Draught Master title three times in the competition’s 13-year history. In 2002, Simon McGorman became the first New Zealander to ever win the world title, and then in 2007 Erin Carroll became the World Draught Master champion. Avril Maxwell is the newest addition to the line-up having won the world title in New York last year.

For more information and to join the global Stella Artois community to begin your own personal quest for perfection, visit www.stellartois.com