Nc’nean opens entries to Creations cocktail contest
Scotch whisky distillery Nc’nean is calling on European bartenders to enter this year’s Creations cocktail competition.
Hosted by Nc’nean blender Matt Hastings, the annual competition challenges bartenders to create a cocktail by using the distillery’s single malt or Botanical Spirit.
The competition offers contestants briefs, one-to-one mentoring, expert feedback, and a trip to visit the B Corp-certified Nc’nean Distillery in Drimnin village on the Morvern Peninsula, based on the west coast of Scotland.
The winner will be given the opportunity to select a cask of whisky, which will be released under the champion’s name and awarded a 10% stake in the cask’s bottle sales.
This year, the contest’s theme is ‘to open’, meaning the competitors are inspired to create the perfect apéritif.
The brief is said to reflect Nc’nean’s continued mission to change the way people think about whisky from Scotland – “moving whisky up the menu” to remind consumers that it is not just a drink for the end of the evening.
Contestants are encouraged to consider sustainability and innovation in their submissions.
Digital entries for Nc’nean Creations are now open to European bartenders, with a deadline of 30 April.
Bartenders successful in the first round will be invited to the heats, which will take place in Scotland, London and Paris from June to July 2025.
The final will take place in Glasgow and the Nc’nean Distillery from 23 to 26 September.
Last year, Norbert Drozdowski from Rick Stein’s The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, England, took the winning spot.
Elena Wright from Manchester won the 2022 competition, and Matt Morrison, head bartender at The Fife Arms in Scotland, triumphed in the 2023 contest.
Wright said: “Entering Nc’nean Creations was one of the best decisions I made in 2022. Being fairly new to the industry when I entered, it allowed me to meet people from all over the UK and form friendships that still continue to this day – both with competitors and the wonderful Nc’nean team.
“It is the most supportive, encouraging, and friendly competition to enter, and it has really helped me gain confidence, propel my career, and get my name out there.”
Nc’nean was established in 2017 by Annabel Thomas, and in 2021, it became the first distillery in the UK to achieve net zero emissions.
Related news
El Dorado crowns Heritage Cocktail Competition winner
