Georgia bartender wins big at national bartending competition

Wallace was the only Georgia bartender to participate in the World Class competition. With the national win under his belt, he will compete against top bartenders from more than 50 countries at the Global Finals taking place Sept. 27-Oct. 2 in Toronto.

“Being the only Georgian to compete and bringing it home for Georgia was special, very special,” said Wallace in a phone interview Wednesday on his drive back to the coast.

Credit: Courtesy of Sea Island

Credit: Courtesy of Sea Island

Wallace has worked at Sea Island Resort for 12 years where he leads a team of more than 60 bartenders and beverage specialists across 13 outlets within the resort. This is his 10th time competing in the USBG event, which just completed its 13th year.

He said he approached this year’s competition differently than in years past, taking three weeks off work for intensive preparation. “I made time to focus on details, time for mentorship, time to commit to everything,” Wallace said. “I wasn’t going to give up until I got it,” he said of his decade-long pursuit of the title.

Wallace, 38, holds 20 years of bartending experience. He began soon after high school, but didn’t think of it as a career path until he started working at Sea Island where he ran the River Bar at the Cloister and realized “the scope of what luxury hospitality could be.”

During the first two days of the event, 30 competitors participated in three challenges that involved crafting a signature Bulleit bourbon cocktail paired with a Southern dish, creating two tequila cocktails using Don Julio 70 Cristalino and making six Diageo Reserve cocktails in an eight-minute speed round where contestants were judged on balance, efficiency, skill and hospitality.

The list of 30 was then narrowed down to the top 10 finalists, who competed in two additional challenges.

Credit: Courtesy of USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by Diageo

Credit: Courtesy of USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by Diageo

Wallace secured his spot at the top with two cocktail creations. Soul of the South consisted of Bulleit bourbon, apple brandy, lemon juice, apple cider syrup and six dashes of Talisker 10-Year Scotch. All Glowed Up featured Don Julio 70 Cristalino Tequila, mulled wine cordial, apricot liqueur, lemon juice, coconut syrup and a garnish of dehydrated apple slices.

Wallace beat out finalists from California, Seattle, Hawaii, New York, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Credit: Courtesy of USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by Diageo

Credit: Courtesy of USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by Diageo

Wallace said that he is excited to take back to the Georgia coast more than the national title. “I get to bring back new ideas, concepts, techniques, ingredients and philosophies to my team,” he said.

And he’s already thinking about the Global Finals in the fall, hoping to become the first U.S. bartender to bring the trophy back to the U.S. since renowned mixologist Charles Joly won in 2014.

The USBG is a nationwide nonprofit with chapters in nearly 50 cities, including Atlanta, that promotes professional development in the beverage industry. The USBG’s World Class event, sponsored by alcoholic beverage company Diageo, showcases bartending talent in the U.S. and highlights emerging trends in the industry.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include quotes from Nic Wallace.

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