NEW YORK—Leblon, producer of Brazil’s handcrafted Cachaça (pronounced ka-SHA-sa), today announced that the “Leblon Brazillionaire” was named the “Judges Choice” Winner at the First Annual WSWA Call for Cocktails: Mixology Competition held at the 67th Annual Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Convention in Las Vegas on April 8, 2010. The winning cocktail, created by Tobin Ellis of BarMagic, combined Leblon Cachaça, Cherry Heering, passion fruit purée, fresh lime sour, fresh cilantro leaves and Sriracha sauce.
Leblon Brazillionaire Recipe
1½ ounces Leblon Cachaça
¾ ounces Cherry Heering
1 ounces Perfect Purée Passion Fruit Concentrate
1½ ounces Fresh Lime Sour (3:2 ratio of fresh lime to simple syrup)
8-10 Fresh Cilantro Leaves
2 drops Sriracha Sauce
In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients and add ice. Shake sharply and fine strain.
The competition was sponsored by The Tasting Panel Magazine. Master mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim (The Modern Mixologist) served as executive director of competition and lead a panel of judges comprised of fellow bartenders and cocktail experts from across the U.S. that included Jonathan Pogash (Mixologist, The Cocktail Guru, New York), Meridith May (Publisher, The Tasting Panel Magazine, Los Angeles), Kent Bearden (Master Mixologist, MGM Grand, Las Vegas), Joe Brooke (Director of Spirits, The Edison, Los Angeles), Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Bar Manager, Clive Commons, Portland), Aidan Demarest (First and Hope, Los Angeles and Partner, Demarest Liquid Assets), Jim Romdall (Mixologist, Vessel, Seattle), Marcos Tello (Partner, Tello Demarest Liquid Assets, Los Angeles), Alex Velez (Mixologist, Crescent Gaming and Bartending School, Las Vegas) and Ann Tuennerman (Founder, Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans).
About Tobin Ellis
BarMagic Principal Tobin Ellis has 20 years of bartending, hospitality, and nightlife experience throughout the United States and much of the world. Ellis began training bartenders in 1991 and also spent six years in advertising in New York and Washington, D.C. He has also held the titles of Co-founder and President of the Flair Bartenders' Association, Head Bartender for Caesars Palace (Las Vegas), NSO Bar Trainer for TGI Friday's. Ellis is a 3-time Mixology Champion (2009 USBG Leblon Caipirinha Competition, 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Barmade Bitters Winner, 2005 Blue Blazer Mixology Champion) and a 9-Time World Finalist in competition (Legends, Quest, Best in the West, Blue Blazer, Cayman Masters). Tobin has organized and judged bartending competitions of all styles all over the world since 1997 and has served as a technical advisor and judge for a number of television networks, including A&E, Travel Channel, Food Network and NBC.
About Leblon Cachaça
Leblon is a handcrafted Cachaça (pronounced ka-SHA-sa) produced at Maison Leblon in Minas Gerais, Brazil’s agricultural heartland. Distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice, Leblon is then rested in XO Cognac casks and blended to create superior complexity and taste. Leblon is the leading Cachaça brand in high-end establishments and is the premier base spirit of the Caipirinha (pronounced kai-pur-EEN-ya), the national cocktail of Brazil. Available in all 50 U.S. states, Leblon recently won the “2010 Rising Star Growth Brand” Award by the Beverage Information Group and “Best Cachaça” with a Double Gold Medal Award at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, its fifth Gold Medal win to date. Leblon also garnered “Best in Class” at the Rum Experience International Tasting Competition – London. Leblon is also available in Brazil, France, the U.K., Italy, Ireland, Canada, Thailand, Spain and Portugal. For more information, visit www.leblon.com.