With a pot of $15,000 in cash prizes on the line, the “Shake It Up 2010” cocktail competition at the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas next month should be swamped with entries. Interested bartenders with a killer long drink recipe should post theirs online here. The competition will be held midday March 9 on the Nightclub and Bar Show exhibit floor, hosted by Francesco Lafranconi of Southern Wine & Spirits, and judged by a panel of top mixologists. The due date for recipes is Feb. 12, and creators of the top 25 recipes will be notified by Feb. 15. The Nightclub & Bar Show and Southern Wine and Spirits of America are sponsors of the event.
Heard of the Can Can Classic Cocktail Competition? Submit your own original recipe for a cocktail made with St-Germain to be eligible for one of three monthly prizes. The winner from each month is eligible to enter the annual Can Can Classic competition taking place in June in NYC. The winner then receives $5,000 or a weeklong, expense-paid trip to Paris. (Second place will receive $2,000, and third place will receive $1,000.) Discover all at http://www.stgermain.fr/register.php.
Recently, we alerted you to Diageo’s international search for the best bartender. Last year U.S. bartenders couldn't participate in the World Class event, and they may not be able to again. According to the company: "Regrettably the U.S. was unable to participate in the 2009 competition, taking place in London, due to U.S. legal parameters as it may have been seen as 'incentivizing retail license accounts’ and 'providing something of value to retailers'. However, we will keep you posted on the location for 2010. U.S. involvement will be determined by local and state regulations. Please know that Diageo will continue ongoing initiatives to support U.S. bartenders including category education via our ambassador network and bartender training with mixologists."