Netflix has a knack for producing compelling competition series on a wide range of topics. Blown Away did a great job of carving out a niche for itself, while crazy additions to the field like Nailed It! and The Big Flower Fight have essentially recycled the reality competition formula for different hobbies or interests. Leaving no stone unturned, Netflix is back and this time it's brought a spicy and heady mix of booze into the mix for Drink Masters.
The premise is simple; Twelve mixologists battle to become the best mixers in the world, taking home $100k and bragging rights in their neighborhood. To get there, however, the gauntlet of drunken bartenders is thrown at them, as each of the contestants are given challenges to complete, with one person sent home at the end of each episode. Ice cool Tone Bell is our host and he is joined by cocktail bar owner Julie Reiner and "The Six" Frankie Solarik. Along the way, some guest judges also appear, especially during the second half of the show.
Creators: Matthew Horngburg, Tim Warren
Stars: Tone Bell, Frankie Solarik, Julie Reiner
It's a very familiar format and this helps to immediately get into the groove... but some pretty nasty and arrogant contestants give it the wrong hand right away. There seems to be a relentless need these days to splash these kinds of people on reality TV when the irony is that shows like The Great British Bake Off are so popular because they're not.
The episodes themselves are relatively straightforward, though you can tell amusingly by the 38-minute running time that these guys have really struggled to fill the timeout any longer. As someone who is experienced in cocktail making and has spent 7 years as a bartender, it takes some fine art to balance the different elements of a drink and Drink Masters at least tries to explain this somewhat.
The show never veers towards the level of pretentiousness one might expect, but that's not for a lack of trying from the contestants. "I deserve to be here." One replies from the beginning; a genuine line that will immediately make you look forward to its removal. And that's a real shame, because it's a wonder no one has bothered to do a show about alcohol and mixology until now. Some of these drinks look absolutely delicious and the presentation of some of them is off the charts.
The ending, which pits the 3 finalists against each other, is likely to be another point of contention and you'll feel deja vu in moments that are also comparable to Blown Away. I have absolutely no doubt that people will be talking about who they think should be the winner, and as always, comment below with your thoughts. And for those who haven't seen the show yet, beware of spoilers!
However, Drink Masters isn't a bad show and at less than 40 minutes per episode, it doesn't waste your time as it cuts down on the number of contestants. If you're looking for a tasty treat, this is a decent option to quench your thirst, though it's unlikely to give you as much of a buzz as you might hope.
Watch Drink Masters 2022 Tv Series Trailer
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