Emporia crowns Gabriel Boudier Wizard winner
Distributor Emporia Brands has announced Ashley Haines as the winner of the Gabriel Boudier Wizard Award competition.
After the grand final held at the Gabriel Boudier Distillery in Dijon, France, Haines from Ojo Rojo in Bournemouth emerged victorious with his Sweet Woodruff liqueur creation.
The final saw five UK-based bartenders present their original liqueurs and serves to a panel of judges.
Haines’ liqueur impressed the judges with its ‘delicate balance of flavours and creative execution’, which was showcased in two signature serves: the Ruff Highball made with blended Scotch, Sweet Woodruff and soda water; and the Woodruff Sour, which combined the winning liqueur with triple sec, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white.
Jack Rackham, managing director of Emporia Brands and judge of the competition, said: “Ashley’s Sweet Woodruff liqueur stood out not only for its incredibly unique flavour, derived from a widely available yet under appreciated plant but also for the impressive skill he demonstrated in its creation.
“His innovation truly captured the spirit of the competition.”
In addition to taking home a £1,000 (US$1,300) cash prize and the title, Haines’ winning liqueur will be developed for release as part of Gabriel Boudier’s 2025 Bartender Liqueur range.
Haines commented on his win: “Inspiring change is far more than just creating trends. I love to bring obscure ingredients that literally grow below our feet and above our heads into my drinks making, but by creating the Sweet Woodruff liqueur, I hope that it not only introduces consumers to something that grows around them all over the UK and Europe, but also opens their eyes to the possibilities with what else is growing around them locally.”
According to Emporia, this year’s competition was the most competitive and high-calibre yet with more than 280 entries.
The regional finals were held in Edinburgh, Leeds, and London, after which Haines, Ben Jones from Uno Mas, Edinburgh, Cameron Chapman from The Wash House, Manchester, Luca Zani from Dakota Hotel, Leeds, and Henry Woodgate from Flight Club, Cardiff, made their ways to the grand finals.
The Gabriel Boudier Wizard Competition was launched in 2015 to challenge UK bartenders to create an original liqueur or crème that is not commercially available and uses only natural and ethically sourced ingredients.
Last year, Xander Driver from Leicester won the competition with his Turmeric liqueur.
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