Punch Pong League names its first winners

A bartender team from Leeds have been crowned the winners of the inaugural UK Underground Punch Pong League – Monin Bartenders’ Challenge Cup.

JJ Goodman, co-founder of London Cocktail Club, hosted the inaugural Punch Pong League final in London

At a final held on Monday night to mark the opening of London Cocktail Week, 12 bartender teams from across the UK and Ireland competed against one another in beer-pong style tournament, with the beer replaced with punch.

Decided through a series of regional heats, the 12 teams each drew a Monin syrup at random that was used as the foundation for creating their recipe.

Ultimately the winners were Olly Pluck from Roadhouse and Ross Millar from Shears Yard, both in Leeds with their cocktail Punch and Glory. They win a day trip to Paris for themselves plus two colleagues.

JJ Goodman, founder of the Punch Pong League and co-founder of London Cocktail Club, said: “It’s been a whirlwind of emotions over the past six weeks and the reception we received across the UK and Ireland when we rolled into each city was phenomenal.

“Many thanks to all the bars that hosted each of the heats; their hospitality was amazing and the efforts they put into getting people down to each event was really appreciated.”

The competition as sponsored by Monin syrups and Plantation Rum.