Former Bathurst local Evan Stroeve has been named the best bartender in the country at the Australian World Class Bartender of the Year final in Sydney last week. It's the grandest achievement yet for the 28-year-old bartending connoisseur, who first cut his teeth in the industry pulling beers at the Bathurst RSL Club and the Elephant and Castle Hotel. "The win is still sinking in, I still can't quite believe it," Mr Stroeve said. READ ALSO: Nectarine dream: Cosmo Brewing pairs local fruit and honey with new brew "This was the third time I entered the competition, and it requires a great deal of work and preparation to be competitive, so it's truly a great feeling to come out on top." Mr Stroeve was tasked with a set of gruelling tasks throughout the competition, including tailored twists on the popular tequila and whiskey highball beverages, a bottled cocktail challenge, a mystery box round and a speed round [six cocktails in six minutes]. "The mystery box challenge was a bit like MasterChef; you had 10 minutes to make a drink with the ingredients given to you, and provide a brief story to describe the beverage," he said. READ ALSO: St Stanislaus College students provide items of warmth to Vinnies' appeal "Other challenges had more significant meaning, such as the bottled cocktail challenge, which was geared towards engendering a more sustainable future." To prepare for the competition, Mr Stroeve practiced in a host of different venues to grow familiar with a multitude of bar setups. "By practicing in different venues, you develop the ability to adjust on the fly," he said. Mr Stroeve has recently helped open a new bar in Redfern [Re], a zero-waste venue aiming to develop an environmentally-friendly business model for other bars to follow. "The hospitality industry throws out tonnes and tonnes of perfectly good produce each year, so we essentially want to create a sustainable neighbourhood bar catering for everyone," he said. READ ALSO: Velvet Buzzsaw Gallery exhibition to comprise Jim's 50 years of creativity Mr Stroeve was previously general manager at Bulletin Place in Circular Quay, named one of the 50 best bars in the world in 2016 and 2020 and honed his 'fine drinking' craft at Darlinghurst's Shady Pines Saloon. But he still credits the time working behind bars in Bathurst as pivotal to his career growth. "Working at the E&C and the RSL taught me how to develop an appreciation for regular customers, so I can't thank them enough," he said. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: