The week in pictures
During the semi-finals on Tuesday at the Dandelyan Bar in Mondrian Hotel, London, the top 10 contenders of the 10th Annual Most Imaginative Bartender Competition presented by Bombay Sapphire competed in a ‘Market Challenge’ hosted by British celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver. Detroit regional finalist Alex Chien took home the win, after crafting a cocktail in just 12 minutes from sourcing market fresh ingredients in the surprise “pantry”.
Yesterday, SB went to the North American finale of the 10th Annual Most Imaginative Bartender Competition presented by Bombay Sapphire. The event took place in the Rumpus Rooms at the Mondrian Hotel, London, where 10 of the best cocktails were crafted by top bartenders across North America.
Boston’s Schuyler Hunton (Tiger Mama) was officially named the 2016 Most Imaginative Bartender, beating out nine other contenders from across the United States and Canada. Hunton also was crowned the People’s Choice Winner for the night.
Smirnoff Cider kicked off the Bank Holiday summer vibes early, by surprising and delighting consumers with their large, raspberry-coloured tractor yesterday morning, as it appeared alongside iconic landmarks such as Westminster Bridge and Piccadilly Circus, to celebrate the latest drinks offering from the global brand. Smirnoff is ensuring the public get their Bank Holiday on the right track with the #SmirnoffTractor – offering members of the public a chance to win up to ten cases for them and their friends.
Thom Solberg of Black Rock bar in Shoreditch has won a competition to create the most adventurous Bourbon cocktail with a “rebel spirit”. Rebel Yell Bourbon and Cellar Trends staged the competition in London, and will be hosting Thom at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival which celebrates its 25th year this September. Bartenders across London competed in five heats, ending with the grand final on 22 August at MASH Soho. The judges included Greg Mefford, international sales director at Luxco in the US which owns Rebel Yell, John Rempe, master blender, and world whisky expert Dominic Roskrow.
With the introduction of the 24 hour tube, Soho-based Jinjuu allows guests the chance to enjoy its signature Korean-fusion cuisine and cocktails until the early hours of the morning. Serving a selection of “Anju” – food that you eat while you drink until 1.30am. On select evenings, Jinjuu’s resident DJ’s hit the decks from 9.30pm onwards, with a mix of smooth house and soulful R&B, transforming Jinjuu into a vibrant late-night venue.
Following the success of last year’s inaugural Highland Festival, William Grant & Sons UK hosted round two at Haggerston Park on Sunday. The UK’s top bartenders battled it out to win an immersive trip to Scotland. This year saw nine teams compete for the title, with Team Reyka coming out on top, winning the crown. Team Reyka included Aidan Bowie from Dandelyan, Russell Burgess from Loves Company, Dan Bovey from Be At One Bristol, Anna Sebastian from The Beaufort Bar at The Savoy, Aaron Masonde from Oblix at The Shard, Alastair Fraser from Little Bat and Iain McPherson from Hoot the Redeemer and Panda and Sons. The competitors were faced with new and exciting games including Dash and Grab, Bootcamp Challenge and Last Man Standing along with 2015 favourites, The Ramos Fizz Cocktail Relay and Tug of War.
James Millar and Cameron Attfield from The Gin Room in Auckland, New Zealand have been announced as the 42 Below Cocktail Earth Cup 2016 champions. The Cocktail Earth Cup, the Trans-Tasman sustainability-focused cocktail competition, took place in Queenstown, NZ, from Monday 22 August and ended on Wednesday 24 August.
This week, Steve Young, bartender from Pier64 in Penarth won the Southern Final of the Patrón Perfectionist’s Cocktail Competition. Steve impressed the judges with his Damas de Embalaje cocktail. He will head to London on 16 November for the UK final where he will compete with the four other finalists from the Northern, Scottish, Northern Irish and east and west London finals.
Bartender Joe Wild from Liverpool bar El Bandito took home the crown at the Northern Regional Final at the Patrón Perfectionist’s Cocktail Competition after winning over the judges with his his Spirit of Sustainability cocktail. The Northern Regional Final took place at Mr. Cooper’s House and Garden in Manchester, and challenged bartenders to invent and present a Patrón Tequila cocktail worthy of a perfectionist.
