Swizzle Masters 2016 winner reveals key to competition success

After a thrilling year of creative cocktails and mind-boggling mixology, Joe Summerfield of The Poison Cabinet in Newcastle discusses how he secured the title of Wenneker Swizzle Master 2016.

Joe Summerfield of The Poison Cabinet was crowned Swizzle Masters 2016 champion

Summerfield kicked off his bartending career just over three years ago, pouring pints for a family-run business in Newcastle. Since starting at The Poison Cabinet, Summerfield has helped to extend the cocktail menu by designing his own list of drinks and hasn’t looked back – he continues to work across the company’s venues including dAtbAr and Bierrex in Newcastle.

Certainly no stranger to cocktail competitions, Summerfield has entered a number of contests including those hosted by Old Pulteney, Mason’s Gin and Buffalo Trace. On offering tips for bartenders entering competitions, Summerfield says: “Just go for it. Even if you know your drink isn’t perfect, there will be other people entering who have been doing so for a lot longer than you, and you can only learn from the experience. Preparation wise, once I’ve finalised the specs for the drink, I pretty much take a back seat and let it be judged on its own merit.”

With such confidence it’s no surprise Summerfield claimed the top spot in the 2016 Wenneker Swizzle Masters final. It was his entry from the first round, Smoky Mezcal, that stood out as the unanimous winner for our expert panel. A mix of Illegal Joven Mezcal, Wenneker Ginger, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Averna and a sprig of rosemary, Ms. Rosemary’s Smokin was created to be simple and easily replicated.

Summerfield says: “I found the rosemary to be a nice complement to the earthy, smoky mezcal. From there I tried out a few combinations of flavours, but Averna and ginger have always been a good combination for me, and they just seemed to work in the drink.”

Recognition

On winning the competition, he adds: “I’m really pleased this drink got this recognition because it really is a favourite of mine. Plus, with it being so easy to make, it’s great to think that people in bars all over the place might be able to try a drink I came up with.

“I’ve seen plenty of drink recipes that sound amazing with lots of homemade ingredients that bring a lot of complexity, but I’m never going to spend a full day foraging for wild ingredients or buying a centrifuge for the bar. While I appreciate the effort that can be put into the science and art of a cocktail, at the end of the day I just don’t have the time, personally, and I think that goes for a lot of people in this industry. I would love to try out some more scientific methods for innovative ingredients, but for now I am more than happy to simply mix drinks well.”

The future looks bright for Summerfield who, besides bartending full-time, is currently studying for a Masters in Brewing and Distilling through a distance-learning course at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

And when he’s not studying and working, Summerfield can be found flitting between the bars and restaurants of Newcastle on the look-out for something new to taste.

Entries are now open for the revamped 2017 Wenneker Swizzle Masters – in which one bartender will walk away with £1,000 as well as the coveted Swizzle Master 2017 title.