After a particularly tense final of the ASI Best Sommelier in Europe, Africa and the Middle East competition in Belgrade this month, David Kermode sits down with the winner, Estonia’s Mick Parre.
Kermode finds out how Parre dealt with the time pressure and uncovers what techniques he used to keep calm on stage. Parre also shares why he thinks northern Europe has produced several champion sommeliers and the qualities it takes to be the best.
Kermode is then joined by Raimonds Tomsons, host of the competition and the reigning World’s Best Sommelier. Tomsons explains the structure of the competition and why it and other sommelier competitions are so important to the profession. He discusses how his life has changed since winning his title.
Finally, Kermode’s last guests of the episode are whisky expert Billy Abbott and agave specialist Alex Huskinson, both of The Whisky Exchange. Together, they lead a masterclass in Tequila and mezcal. The trio dive into the different agave spirits, explaining the different flavour profiles, terroir and more. Huskinson touches on how ageing works in Tequila and some of the producers to watch.
Discover more episodes of The Drinking Hour with David Kermode here.
