Today (June 15) is the deadline for entry into the Cabana Cachaça 2010 Bartender Olympics at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans next month, The best bartenders from around the country will go head to head, competing for pride, glory and the coveted Golden Muddler. For more information and the official rules on how to win a spot on one of the five competing teams, contact your local Cabana Ambassador or e-mail bartenderolympics@cabanacachaca.com.
Going to Tales of the Cocktail? Look for the Bar Room Brawl, the first ever team mixology competition presented by Grand Marnier and hosted by Andy Seymour and Steve Olson of aka wine geek. Some of the best cocktail bars in the United States will compete against each other for the title. The competing bars are: The Varnish, Los Angeles; The Florida Room, Miami; Drink, Boston; Rickhouse, San Francisco; Dutch Kills, New York; and The Drawing Room, Chicago.
Kimberly Patton-Bragg of Domenica is the winner of the New Orleans Aperol Cocktail Competition, beating out Tiffany Soles of Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse, Chris Hannah of Arnaud's French 75 and Ricky Richard of Crescent City School of Bartending. Winning a Founder’s Day Package to Tales of the Cocktail 2010 (Valued at $595), Patton-Bragg won with her creation of the Roman Holiday (Aperol, Hangar One Botanical Vodka, lemon juice and Monin Rock Melon Cantaloupe syrup, muddled with cucumber).
Bobby McCoy of Eastern Standard in Boston won the third annual St-Germain Can-Can Classic Cocktail Competition last week in New York. The various finalists from the monthly St-Germain competition, 13 bartenders altogether, had won trips to NYC to compete. McCoy took the ultimate prize of $5,000 for his cocktail, Elixir Alpestre. Second place winner was Misty Kalkofen of Drink in Boston, who took $2,000 for her cocktail, Maintenant ou Jamais. JP Caceres of Washington, D.C.’s Againn Gastropub won $1,000 for the GinGerMain Shandy. Judges for the evening were: Dave Wondrich, author of Imbibe! and the upcoming Punch; Andy Seymour, partner in Beverage Alcohol Resource; Toby Maloney, owner and bartender at Chicago’s The Violet Hour; Phil Ward, owner and bartender at NYC’s Mayahuel; and Lynnette Marrero of NYC’s Rye House.
The winning cocktail:
Elixir Alpestre
Created by Bobby McCoy of Eastern Standard in Boston.
2 ounces Bols Genever
¾ ounce St-Germain
¼ ounce Becherovka
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters
6 drops Pernod Absinthe
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin over ice and shake. Strain into a large coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.