Monin Cup reveals UK winner

Flavoured syrup brand Monin has named Anna Price as the winner of the UK leg of its 2022 global cocktail competition after a four-year hiatus.

Anna Price of The Maven bar in Leeds rose to victory in the UK final of the Monin Cup cocktail competition, which celebrated six rising stars from the bartending and mixology world.

Price won with her cocktail Tianshan Market, crafted to evoke the taste, smell, sight and sound of the largest street food market in Shanghai – Ya Tai Sheng Hui.

Price commented: “Everyone’s drinks and presentations were amazing, I was up against really stiff competition, so it still hasn’t sunk in that I have won. I’m really lucky to be able to do something I love every day, so I’m excited to continue my bartending journey, as I feel that I still have so much to learn from the fabulous team at The Maven.”

In winning the cup, Price has bagged an all-expenses paid trip to the Berlin Bar Convent show in October 2022.

Price will head to France for the Global Bourges final in December to compete for the chance to be crowned the 2022 Monin Cup winner.

The winner of the international final will receive a global prize.

Price added: “To me it makes sense to work with the Monin products, they are versatile and there are so many flavours to work with it gives bartenders a great opportunity to be creative.”

The UK arm of the competition opened for entries for those aged between 18 and 27, and closed on 17 July 2022.

The five other UK-based contestants included Michael Redman from The Ivy in Cardiff; Robert Shaw, a freelance bartender from London; Oscar McClure from Sohe in Newcastle; Ben Topham-Taylor from The Liquor Store in Manchester; and Owen Kimpton, ex-Mecanica Bar bartender from Manchester.

Lee Hyde, beverage innovation manager at Monin, commented: “We’ve seen some exceptional talent at this year’s Monin Cup, with the industry’s rising stars really challenging themselves to produce not only an outstanding drink, but a memorable experience for those drinking it.

“The judges were really impressed by the level of creativity demonstrated in this year’s final as the finalists demonstrated their interpretation of the theme – Sharing Memorable Moments.

“This year’s competition has really highlighted the evolution of the cocktail, as it becomes so much more than simply a drink, it is now an immersive, sensory experience to be shared and remembered”.

The recipe for the Tianshan Market cocktail been outlined below.

Ingredients:

10ml Monin Lychee syrup

5ml Monin Jasmine syrup

30ml Baijiu

15ml Homemade acid adjusted-lapsang tea