Joe Summerfield named Wenneker Swizzle Master 2016

UK bartender Joe Summerfield has been crowned Wenneker Swizzle Master 2016 for his mezcal-based cocktail Ms Rosemary’s Smokin’, which delighted judges throughout the competition.

Summerfield entered February’s Smoky Mezcal heat, with his cocktail, a combination of Wenneker Ginger, Ilegal Joven Mezcal, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and Averna.

Ms. Rosemary’s Smokin’ was praised throughout the competition: in the Smoky Mezcal Round, October’s semi-final and in November’s Grand Final.

By taking first place in the year-long virtual cocktail competition, Summerfield takes the £1,000 top prize.

“I was really pleased that I won with a relatively simple drink, purely because they are my personal favourite kind of drinks,” said Summerfield on his victory.

“At the time I found out about the competition I had been doing a couple of more complex drinks for other competitions, so it was a refreshing challenge to design a drink that could be made pretty much anywhere.”

In the final, Kristiane Sherry, editor of The Spirits Business and Wenneker Swizzle Master judge, said: “Ms. Rosemary’s Smokin’ is a delightfully simple cocktail, it offers a strikingly minimalist appearance with a gorgeous nose.”

Fellow judge Rosie Stimpson, director of Speakeasy Entertainment, added: “Rosemary’s Smokin’ has a straightforward method with a nice mix of ingredients. It’s well balanced and flavoursome with a beautiful aroma.”

Alessandro Paludet, group bars manager at Urban Leisure Group, who was also on the judging panel, concluded: “The winner was clearly the favourite among all judges.”

The final also saw Alan Kennedy awarded second place for his vermouth-based serve The Odd Man, while Francesco Montesano’s Cognac-based concoction Mon Sherry took the third place spot.

See the December 2016 issue of The Spirits Business for full coverage of the Wenneker Swizzle Masters final.