Wenneker Swizzle Masters Italian Apéritif winner revealed
As summer tentatively approaches, we tasked Swizzlers to create a refreshing serve based on the ever-glamorous apéritif cocktail – and they certainly delivered.
K Bar’s bar manager, Ben Manchester, pours winning cocktail The Odd ManLast month we tested Swizzlers with an apéritif brief that saw entrants create a pre-dinner drink that would be a perfect fit for the menu of any traditional trattoria, using either Bianco or Rosso Martini vermouth – and it was Alan Kennedy’s “light, refreshing, and delicious” cocktail, The Odd Man, that stole the show.
Francesco Petracci, head bartender at Bar Americain at Brasserie Zedel; Tschaka Prescod, bar manager of Del’Aziz Bermondsey; Fabio Adler, marketing manager at K Bar, The Kensington Hotel; and Melita Kiely, senior staff writer of The Spirits Business, picked the cocktail as their favourite from 10 of the best entries, which were crafted to spec by K Bar’s bar manager, Ben Manchester.
A simple and effective blend of Martini Rosso, Wenneker 24 Carrot, Bonded Bourbon and Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters, The Odd Man impressed judges from the very first sip.
“It matches the brief perfectly, and the carrot pairs so well with Martini Rosso,” observed Kiely. “This was the cocktail that we as judges kept reaching for, just to have another taste.” Adler agreed: “This was a well-balanced cocktail, with hints of an Old Fashioned. I particularly liked the stripped-back presentation.”
Second place was awarded to Blue Jay Spritz by John Livanos, which judges said “perfectly” followed the guidelines of the brief, and following close in third place was Diego Cruz’s cocktail, Chez Cruise; a combination of Wenneker Elderflower Gin, Martini Rosso, Wenneker Lychee, Angostura Bitters and egg white.
Kennedy’s recipe will now go through to the semi-final in October, when all nine winning drinks from throughout the year will be recreated once more and judged against each other. Five drinks will then be chosen to go through to the grand final in November. The bartender behind the winning recipe will be crowned Wenneker Swizzle Master 2016 and scoop £1,000.
The next Wenneker Swizzle Masters round is Summer Scotch. Create a delightfully refreshing long drink to sip in the shade, using Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood. Bartenders have until 12 May to submit their recipes online at www.swizzlemasters.com.
Click through to the next page to discover how to recreate the winning recipes from the latest round.
1ST PLACE: THE ODD MAN BY ALAN KENNEDY
Ingredients: 60ml Martini Rosso, 15ml Wenneker 24 Carrot, 15ml Bonded Bourbon, 2 dashes Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters
Method: Stir and strain. Garnish with expressed lemon peel
2ND PLACE: BLUE JAY SPRITZ BY JOHN LIVANOS
Ingredients: 30ml Martini Bianco, 15ml Wenneker Creme de Cassis, 2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters, 90-120ml Prosecco, splash club soda
Method: Fill wine glass about two thirds with ice. Add the Creme de Cassis, vermouth, and Regan’s Orange bitters. Slowly pour Prosecco over the top until the glass is two thirds full. Top with a splash of club soda. Give 2-3 stirs with a bar spoon to incorporate all the ingredients. Garnish with 5 blueberries on a skewer
3RD PLACE: CHEZ CRUISE BY DIEGO CRUZ
Ingredients: 30ml Wenneker Elderflower Gin, 15ml Martini Rosso, 15ml Wenneker Lychee, 1/2 bar spoon of egg white, Angostura Bitters
Method: Shake the first 4 ingredients with ice, and strain into glass with ice cubes or an ice ball. Then garnish with a pine tree leaf, Angostura Bitters and rim the glass with pink sugar and Wenneker Lychee. Smoke leaves of pine tree and serve
