Dorchester Collection bartender wins ladies-only Bloom Gin competition

A bartender from The Dorchester Collection in London has been named the winner of Bloom Gin’s inaugural ladies-only cocktail competition.

Bloom Gin winner Manuela Runggaldier adds the finishing touches to her drink, Bloom Treasure

Manuela Runggaldier from 45 Park Lane hotel was declared the winner after beating 29 other contestants in a preliminary round and grand final.

She was pitted against Valentina Carbone of Nobu Berkeley Street and Marta Wanat of One Aldwych in the extremely close final, who took second and third places respectively.

Runggaldier’s winning cocktail was Bloom Treasure, a mix of both Bloom Gin and Bloom Sloe Gin with lemon juice, figs and ginger.

Competitors were marked on their technical ability to cleanly and professionally create a drink, their presentation skills, and taste, aroma and appearance of their cocktail.

Judging the competition were Bloom Gin master distiller Joanne Moore; The Spirits Business editor Becky Paskin; Cocktail Lover Sandrae Lawrence; drinks PR Su-Lin Ong; London Cocktail Club founder JJ Goodman; former American Bar at The Savoy bartender Salim Khoury; the UKBG’s Armand Fasola, Fabio Immovilli, Pedro Paulo and Luca Cordiglieri; UKBG president Daniel Crebese; and UKBG London area chairman Mike Sweetman.

Held in collaboration with the UKBG at the Marriott County Hall in London, the contest sought to raise awareness of the skills of female bartenders in the UK, and encourage more to enter cocktail competitions.

The competition attracted an “overwhelming” number of entries from female bartenders around the country, all of whom were competing for the grand prize of a trip to the Ladies Polo Day at Cowdury Park in July, and the chance to showcase their winning cocktail at the event.

Bloom Treasure

25ml Bloom Gin
25ml Bloom Sloe Gin
25ml lemon juice
15ml sugar syrup
5 drops Stevia
one egg white
half a fig
piece of fresh ginger
2 drops chocolate bitters

Method: Add all ingredients (except the bitters) to a shaker and muddle. Dry shake with just one ice cube, then wet shake. Double strain into a coupe glass, add chocolate bitters and garnish with dried pomelo rind.