Purl’s Thomas Aske wins Snow Queen Martini Masters

Thomas Aske, co-founder of Fluid Movement the consultancy firm behind Purl and Worship Street Whistling Shop, has been named winner of the inaugural Snow Queen Martini Masters.

The Snow Queen Martini Masters  (left to right): Jamie Stephenson, Gulneida Tocheiva of Snow Queen, Thomas Aske, Daisy Jones of The Spirits Business, Chris Edwards

Held yesterday at The Club at The Ivy in London, Aske impressed the panel of judges with his extensive knowledge of the Snow Queen vodka brand and loyalty to the traditional Martini cocktail.

Competing against 11 other bartenders, Aske produced a traditional vodka Martini named The Free Rider, featuring a homemade “Bone Dry Tincture” and a dash of malic acid.

His cocktail secured him a place in the final, along with Jamie Stephenson of Bar Academy and Chris Edwards of The Parlour.

The final round required the three bartenders to produce a second Martini from a mystery box of ingredients in just 15 minutes.

Aske’s Tall, Slender and Elegant cocktail, inspired by the feminine class of Snow Queen, was unanimously voted by the judges as the winner, for its smooth texture and smoky, herbal flavour (see recipe below).

“The time Tom took to create something like the mystery box cocktail was impressive,” said Oleh Bashutskyy, international sales manager for Snow Queen. “He definitely prepared very well and had read about Kazakhstan and its old traditions and traditional flavours, which was impressive as well. It’s important to Snow Queen as a brand that bartenders understand its heritage.”

Having won the grand prize of US$5,000, Aske said: “It’s an honour to win, it’s a massive competition and to compete against incredible bartenders and win is a firstly a relief because it’s been a high-pressure day, but also a massive achievement for me personally.”

For a full in-depth and behind-the-scenes feature on the Snow Queen Martini Masters, see the April edition of The Spirits Business.

The Free Rider
60ml Snow Queen Vodka
5ml Aske’s Bone Dry Tincture (a macerated tincture high in tannins and ultra dry – this balances perfectly against the vanillin and anise aroma in SQ)
1 dash malic acid
Garnish: Absinthe snow and honey caviar
Glass: Tulip shaped chalice (inspired by the Tulips origins in Kazakhstan)

Method:
Stir all ingredients and double strain

Tall Slender and Elegant
50ml Snow Queen Vodka
5ml Triple Sec
2 dashes lavender bitters
Smoked star anise

Method:
Lightly char a piece of star anise and place it under an upside down chalice glass to smoke. Shake remaining ingredients over ice and double strain into a baby shaker. Serve upside down glass and baby shaker for guests to pour themselves.