Perth Bartender Shirley Yeung named in Australia's best list
Diageo World Class is in its 16th year and regarded as the biggest and most influential bartending competition in the world.
This year's Australian finals will bring together eight elite bartenders from across Australia for a one-day cocktail showdown.
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Diageo's head of trade advocacy Kate McGraw said Diageo World Class was the ultimate showcase of bartending excellence.
'The Australian competition never fails to inspire.' she said.
'This year's top eight finalists represent the epitome of talent and innovation in the industry. Their mastery, creativity and dedication to the craft of hospitality promise a final round that will be nothing short of extraordinary'.
This is the second year in the competition for Ms Yeung, who is also the co-founder of MixHaus, a not-for-profit group creating opportunities for female and non-binary bartenders nationwide. Shirley Yeung is a contender for Bartender of the Year. Credit: Supplied
Ms Yeung is the only West Australian to make the finals this year, with her other competitors being from Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
'To represent Perth and stand alongside some of the most creative bartenders in the country? That's a massive honour. I'm soaking up every minute,' she said.
'I'm equal parts buzzing and terrified — in the best way. World Class is the stage for bartenders who want to push boundaries. It's not just about mixing a great drink — it's about storytelling, technique, sustainability and connection.' Shirley Yeung is also the co-founder of co-founder of Mix Haus, which is dedicated to creating opportunities for female and non-binary bartenders. Credit: Bartender
'We're done with playing it safe. Guests are asking smarter questions and bartenders are getting bold with local ingredients, ferments, and native botanicals,' she said.
'High-concept drinks in laid-back venues? That's the vibe. What's not hot? Overcomplicating things. No one wants a 12-step cocktail that takes 15 minutes. We're all about flavour, finesse and fun — and that's why I think Perth's energy belongs on the World Class stage.'
The Australian finals will test the bartenders in live challenges involving celebrating coffee culture, creating three custom drinks including one from Tequila Don Julio Minis, and a speed round requiring competitors to craft up to nine classic cocktails using Diageo's premium reserve spirits portfolio.
These competitions will determine who will represent Australia on the global stage in Toronto, Canada, later this year.
The final will be held on June 30 at the Sofitel in Sydney.
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West Australian
24 minutes ago
- West Australian
Urgent action needed to start decommissioning industry, warn unions and green groups
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The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Great friends' Australia, NZ vow closer defence ties
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Despite sitting on opposing sides of the left-right political divide, the interaction showed the close personal relationship between Mr Luxon and Mr Albanese. The pair developed a friendship when the former worked as an Air New Zealand chief executive while the now-Australian prime minister served as transport minister. Earlier on Sunday, the leaders visited an Anzac memorial at the nearby town of Arrowtown and laid wreaths to commemorate soldiers from both countries fallen side-by-side in joint battle. "When Australians think of New Zealand, we think of the Anzacs and we think of the sacrifice that we've made together in defence of our freedom," Mr Albanese told reporters. "Australia and New Zealand are great friends. We think alike and we act alike on the international stage." Mr Albanese and Mr Luxon vowed to further integrate the two nations' economies as the regional partners face the "most unpredictable and dangerous" strategic environment in decades. 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Co-operation was also seen as a way to help both countries achieve their goals of boosting economic productivity, including by renewing joint standards arrangements to streamline regulations in various sectors. The pair spoke with business leaders on Saturday evening about removing regulatory pinchpoints to make it easier to operate across the two countries, Mr Luxon said. "We want the barnacles off the boat, to go as quickly as we can for both countries that are trying to improve productivity," he said. China's assertiveness is pushing Australia and New Zealand's militaries ever-closer, with the Kiwi leader declaring the nation's defence forces should become as "interoperable as possible". Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon ended a warm weekend together in the cold, atop a glacier near the South Island ski resort town of Queenstown on Sunday. 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"When Australians think of New Zealand, we think of the Anzacs and we think of the sacrifice that we've made together in defence of our freedom," Mr Albanese told reporters. "Australia and New Zealand are great friends. We think alike and we act alike on the international stage." Mr Albanese and Mr Luxon vowed to further integrate the two nations' economies as the regional partners face the "most unpredictable and dangerous" strategic environment in decades. New Zealand has in recent decades sought to maintain a more independent foreign policy to Australia, retreating from the ANZUS alliance in the 1980s after banning US nuclear-powered submarines from its ports. But since the election of the conservative Mr Luxon in 2023 and amid increasing Chinese military assertiveness in the Pacific, the tone has shifted. 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But in a gesture of peace, Mr Luxon met his trans-Tasman partner halfway, offering a dessert with one side adorned with kiwifruit while the other was generously topped with Tim-Tams. "We have solved a centuries-old debate," the New Zealand prime minister said in a video posted to social media featuring the sweet treat. Despite sitting on opposing sides of the left-right political divide, the interaction showed the close personal relationship between Mr Luxon and Mr Albanese. The pair developed a friendship when the former worked as an Air New Zealand chief executive while the now-Australian prime minister served as transport minister. Earlier on Sunday, the leaders visited an Anzac memorial at the nearby town of Arrowtown and laid wreaths to commemorate soldiers from both countries fallen side-by-side in joint battle. "When Australians think of New Zealand, we think of the Anzacs and we think of the sacrifice that we've made together in defence of our freedom," Mr Albanese told reporters. "Australia and New Zealand are great friends. We think alike and we act alike on the international stage." Mr Albanese and Mr Luxon vowed to further integrate the two nations' economies as the regional partners face the "most unpredictable and dangerous" strategic environment in decades. New Zealand has in recent decades sought to maintain a more independent foreign policy to Australia, retreating from the ANZUS alliance in the 1980s after banning US nuclear-powered submarines from its ports. But since the election of the conservative Mr Luxon in 2023 and amid increasing Chinese military assertiveness in the Pacific, the tone has shifted. Mr Luxon has spoken positively of Australia acquiring nuclear submarines through the AUKUS pact and on Sunday he floated the possibility of piggy-backing onto Australia's deal to acquire 10 frigates from Japan, further increasing interoperability between the two nations' militaries. New Zealand's upcoming bid to replace its naval helicopter fleet was another example where it could co-ordinate its military hardware with Australia. "We want to make sure that they're as interoperable as possible with the Australians when we go to market," Mr Luxon said. "We actually want to present joint procurement bids for those things that we can tap on the New Zealand requirements, and as a result, lower the collective cost for each of those individual items for each country." The move to tie New Zealand defence forces closely to those of Australia and allies like the US has been criticised as threatening its independent foreign policy, including by former longstanding Labour prime minister Helen Clark. But University of Otago politics researcher Nicholas Khoo said strengthening military co-operation was appropriate given the increasing uncertainty in international politics. "It's an area where we could legitimately expect to see very real progress," he told AAP. Prof Khoo said the meeting showed the two neighbours' "steady build-up" of co-operation, which didn't exist until two years ago. New Zealand only had one alliance-level partner in Australia and the summit showed its investment in that relationship, he said. Co-operation was also seen as a way to help both countries achieve their goals of boosting economic productivity, including by renewing joint standards arrangements to streamline regulations in various sectors. 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Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
‘Going to hate me': Pavlich on moving kids out of Perth
Fremantle legend Matthew Pavlich has revealed how his family feel about the move to Sydney while pledging allegiance to his old club as he steps into one of the biggest jobs in football. The 353-gamer was announced on Wednesday as the new chief executive for the Sydney Swans in a shock move that will see the greatest Docker of all time trade in purple for red. Despite building an established reputation in the media after retirement, Pavlich said he belonged back in the league. 'I've said it on the record a couple of times, while I've loved the last 10 years or thereabouts in media and in business, the pullback to a football club or the pullback to AFL was really, really strong,' he said on Nova. 'I have had some opportunities that I've pursued or at least explored, or been approached about over that period, but not one of them was the right timing, or none of them were an opportunity of this magnitude.' Matthew Pavlich (left) and Sydney Swans Chairman, Andrew Pridham. Credit: BIANCA DE MARCHI / AAPIMAGE It wasn't until the prospect of Sydney's top job coming up for the sixth time All-Australian that he seriously considered a move. 'When I got that random text message on a Saturday morning saying 'hey I'm in town... can we have a chat', I said to Lauren (Pavlich), 'we might want to think about this one a bit more seriously',' Pavlich said. 'It moved really quickly over the last three or four weeks to a point where it's an emotional time for us because it's exciting, it's an adventure.' Although a monumental move for the six time Doig Medallist, his children aren't convinced on the cross-country move, with Pavlich saying his kids haven't been thrilled at the idea. '(The news went) down like a lead balloon... they love their lifestyle here, they love their connection with their friends,' he said. 'Maybe Harper is going to hate me, but it's exciting.' Now Pavlich will take over the position from outgoing CEO Tom Harley, who at the end of this season will join the AFL executive as the new league chief operating officer. The 43-year-old said that his allegiance still lies with the club that he played for his entire AFL career. 'I'll always be a Fremantle person,' he said. 'I certainly still have strong feelings for Fremantle and always will, so that'll never leave me, and I am a Fremantle person forever.' Coming in to the role with little experience in the field, Pavlich has big shoes to fill as he takes charge of one of the most storied clubs in the league. The Hall of Famer plans to use his nine-years of experience as the Freo captain as a guide for the new role. 'The way that I'll lead (is) through strong integrity, strong influence on the people, I'll do what I'll say I want to do,' he said. 'I think my style is to be collaborative, but then really quickly, action oriented and decisive. 'I'll use all the experiences I've had, no only in the football life but more recently in the commercial world, to understand that strong stability and strength off the field often drives really high success on the field, and the club's been great at that.'
