Oshkosh native wins world bartending title

An Oshkosh native is on top of the world - the bartending world, that is.

Brandon Phillips, 28, was named the Beefeater MIXLDN Global Bartender Champion in January. Originally from Oshkosh and Winneconne, he now lives in Chicago, where he is the senior executive bar director for two highly rated bars.

Beefeater Gin, a spirits company from the UK, had put out calls to submit recipes for London-themed drinks representing how the city has inspired one.

With prior experience in smaller bartending competitions, Phillips decided to give it a shot — but he'd never been to London, much less out of the USA.

"I was really scratching my head trying to figure out how I was inspired by a city I'd never been to," he said.

Research brought him across a neighborhood in London, Hackney, that sounded like one he knows well in Chicago, Logan Square. Both were once poor and dangerous, but revived into an artsy, young part of town, he said. Phillips found inspiration in their common ground, and thus came, "The Hackney Handshake."

"The drink itself is a riff on a really old style drink called a Silver Gin Fizz," he said.

Recipe for the Hackney Handshake

Beefeater Gin

Lustau Manzanilla Sherry

Lemon Juice

Movie Night Syrup - Phillips' original syrup creation made with "Movie Night Tea" by David's Tea

Egg white

Soda

Popcorn (Garnish) - Phillips' original creation using all nine botanicals used in Beefeater Gin, crushed up and mixed with buttery, salty popcorn.

"I thought it'd be cool to keep it simple and traditional but make it my own and do some modern flavors," he said. "And have a little bit of a hipster look and vibe like the two neighborhoods I was referencing."

He was selected to compete at the regional competition in Chicago. After winning that, in October 2014 he competed nationally in Portland — and won again.

Next stop: London

That made him the United States representative at the Global Finals in London, where he'd compete over three days against 29 bartenders from around the world.

"Win, lose or draw, to be able to look around a room and realize... you're sitting amongst some of the best [bartenders] in the world and you're included in it — it's humbling and it's inspiring," he said.

He used the recipe he submitted, but there were other tough challenges.

One was to smell a base spirit and tell the judges what had been distilled to make the product. His extensive training helped him succeed — Phillips apprenticed under Charles Joly, who was named the best bartender in the world in 2014.

The top eight contenders were announced the next day. Phillips' was the last name called, prompting him to leap out of his chair.

The final challenge brought 250 of the best bartenders and venue owners in London together for a party where the finalists served samples of their original drinks. The attendees voted on the most impressive drink and at the end of the night the winner was announced.

"(The announcer) said, 'From the USA,' and I was like 'Ahh!'" he said. "It was cool."

With his win Phillips becomes a global brand ambassador for Beefeater Gin and gains the opportunity to attend two of the greatest bartending events in the world. He'll head to Tokyo for one and is leaning towards another in Moscow.

To call it a dream come true is a drastic understatement, he said.

"I came from Oshkosh and Winneconne... I'd never been out of the country," he said. "Now I get to go to Japan and Russia and do exactly what I love about competitions... be immersed with people that are the face of our industry, that are really the ones moving and shaking things."

Snagging success

The son of Eddie and Brenda Phillips of Winneconne, Brandon Phillips' path to Global Bartender Champion started when he graduated from Winneconne High School in 2005. He tried college for a while but didn't see himself in the careers a bachelor's degree could offer, he said.

After bouncing around for bit and later bartending at Carmella's in Appleton, Phillips fell in love with Chicago while visiting his brother.

He'd grown up with a respect for wine and spirits and brewed his own beer. Phillips found himself creating cocktails even outside of work, and realized a move was inevitable to learn more, he said.

"I moved to Chicago [in 2011], really on a hope and a prayer, and lucked into a job right when I got here," he said.

For a year he apprenticed under Charles Joly at The Drawing Room, one of only three people to do so in seven years. It was rigorous, with 80-hour work weeks, balancing the duties of barback, bartender and still learning new skills.

Master bartenders wear a coat similar to a chef, a symbol that they put as much effort into a drink as a chef does a dish, he said. Phillips earned his at the end of the apprenticeship.

In February 2014 Chef Kevin Hickey asked him to run a new bar he was opening called Bottlefork. The New American cuisine style bar and kitchen was wildly successful. In December Hickey opened another, The Duck Inn, recently named one of the 10 hottest bars in Chicago. Phillips is the senior executive bar director for both venues.

Phillips has another competition in a few weeks. If he wins at the The Grand Masters Bartender Competition regionals, he'll compete at the finals in France.

Phillips said for now he'll stay where he is and keep competing on the side.

"I'm going to soak up as much as I can there," he said. "We'll see what the future holds."

Noell Dickmann: (920) 426-6658 or ndickmann@thenorthwestern.com. On Twitter: @ONW_Noell