Team West London emerged victorious in last week's UK final of the 42 Below Cocktail World Cup 2011, winning themselves a place in the international final next year in New Zealand.

Held during London Cocktail Week, the competition began with a signature cocktail round held at Circus, followed by a round of punches in The Hospital Club. The winning team, comprised of Zdanek Kastanek (Quo Vadis), Andy Mill (London Cocktail Club) and Glenn Morgan (Academy, formerly Lab), earned their victory with a signature drink entitled Country Bumpkin. This combined 42 Below Kiwi with a homemade butternut squash, yellow Chartreuse, Del Maguey mezcal, white grapefruit juice and egg white, served in the style of a sidecar and with an mp3 player in an empty tomato purée can to garnish. The team's simple take on a Planter’s Punch sealed the deal, served directly from two large soda siphons.

The Cocktail World Cup makes provision for a second, wildcard team to join the winners in New Zealand for the final. This is chosen using different criteria, one of which is a public vote on the final punch round. Team Scotland, clad in morph suits and maintaining a constant stream of off-colour banter, took this award after producing a twist on the Fish House Punch, served in a fish tank. This, after creating a pastel-pink variation on the Ramos Gin Fizz in disposable milkshake cups earlier in the day.

News item from Imbibe.com, 21-10-2010