Now in its seventh year, the Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail provide a great opportunity for bars, bartenders and writers to say in a cool, offhand manner: “Nah, I’m not expecting a nomination” while secretly hoping that they will.

The wait is now over, as the award’s organisers today announced the top ten finalists in each category for the 2013 awards, held in July.

The judges will further whittle these lists down to a shortlist of four in each category, announced on June 7^th.

The final winners will be crowned at the awards ceremony in New Orleans in July.

Huge congratulations go to all the finalists, especially of course to our UK-based friends and colleagues.

The finalists:

International Bartender of the Year

•       Andrea Montague-Callooh Callay-London, United Kingdom

•       Carina Soto Velasquez-Candelaria-Paris, France

•       Hidetsugu Ueno-Bar High Five- Tokyo, Japan

•       Jack McGarry-The Dead Rabbit-New York, New York, USA

•       Jamie Bourdreau-cannon:  whiskey and bitter-Seattle, Washington, USA

•       Marian Beke-The Nightjar-London, United Kingdom

•       Misty Kalkofen-Brick & Mortar-Boston, Massachusetts, USA

•       Naren Young- Saxon + Parole, The Daily-New York, New York, USA

•       Simone Caporale-Artesian Bar at the Langham-London, United Kingdom

•       Zdenek Kastanek-28 Hong Kong Street- Singapore

World’s Best Cocktail Bar

•       28 Hong Kong Street-Singapore

•       Black Pearl-Melbourne, Australia

•       Callooh Callay-London, United Kingdom

•       Candelaria-Paris, France

•       Clover Club-New York, New York, USA

•       Death and Co.-New York, New York, USA

•       Drink-Boston, Massachusetts, USA

•       Milk and Honey-New York, New York, USA

•       The Dead Rabbit-New York, New York, USA

•       The Varnish-Los Angeles, California, USA

World’s Best Cocktail Menu

•       28 Hong Kong Street-Singapore

•       69 Colebrooke Row-London, United Kingdom

•       American Bar at the Savoy-London, United Kingdom

•       Black Pearl-Melbourne, Australia

•       cannon:  whiskey and bitters emporium-Seattle, Washington, USA

•       Clover Club-Brooklyn, New York, USA

•       Pouring Ribbons-New York, New York, USA

•       The Dead Rabbit-New York, New York, USA

•       The Hawthorne-Boston, Massachusetts, USA

•       The Nightjar-London, United Kingdom

World’s Best Drink Selection

•       cannon:  whiskey and bitters emporium-Seattle, Washington, USA

•       Cure-New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

•       DaddyO-New York, New York, USA

•       Eau de Vie-Melbourne, Australia, USA

•       Mayahuel-New York, New York, USA

•       Saxon + Parole Restaurant-New York, New York, USA

•       Seven Grand-Los Angeles, California, USA

•       The Dead Rabbit-New York, New York, USA

•       The Hawthorne-Boston, Massachusetts, USA

•       Whistling Shop-London, United Kingdom

World’s Best Hotel Bar

•       Beaufort Bar at the Savoy-London, United Kingdom

•       Black Angels Bar-Prague, Czech Republic

•       Clyde Common-Portland, Oregon, USA

•       Eastern Standard Kitchen and Drinks-Boston, Massachusetts, USA

•       Regent Cocktail Club-Miami, Florida, USA

•       Sable Kitchen and Bar-Chicago, Illinois, USA

•       The NoMad Hotel-New York, New York, USA

•       The Zetter Townhouse-London, United Kingdom

•       Vesper Bar-Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

•       Widder Bar-Zurich, Switzerland

Best Bar Mentor

•       Bridget Albert-Chicago, Illinois

•       Charlotte Voisey- New York, New York

•       Dushan Zaric-Los Angeles, California

•       Francesco Lafranconi-Las Vegas, Nevada

•       Jackson Cannon-Boston, Massachusetts

•       Jason Crawley-Sydney, Australia

•       Julie Reiner-Brooklyn, New York

•       Julio Bermejo-San Francisco, California

•       Sven Almenning-Sydney, Australia

•       Wayne Collins-London, United Kingdom

Best Cocktail Writing – Author

•       Dan Priseman

•       Derek Brown

•       Gary Regan

•       Geoff Kleinman

•       Ian Cameron

•       Jenny Adams

•       Naren Young

•       Paul Clarke

•       Philip Duff

•       Robert Simonson

Best Cocktail Writing – Publication

•       Australian Bartender Magazine

•       Bar Magazine Digital

•       BarChick

•       BarlifeUK

•       DiffordsGuide.com

•       Find. Eat. Drink.

•       Imbibe Magazine

•       Sauce Magazine

•       ShakeStir.com

•       The Cocktail Lovers Magazine

World’s Best New Cocktail Bar

•       Bar Le Coq-Paris, France

•       Broken Shaker-Miami, Florida, USA

•       Bulletin Place-Sydney, Australia

•       Experimental Cocktail Club-New York, New York, USA

•       Polite Provisions-San Diego, California, USA

•       Pouring Ribbons-New York, New York, USA

•       The Dead Rabbit-New York, New York, USA

•       The NoMad Hotel-New York, New York, USA

•       Trick Dog-San Francisco, California, USA

American Bartender of the Year

•       Charles Joly-The Aviary-Chicago, Illinois

•       Eric Alperin-The Varnish-Los Angeles, California

•       Erick Castro-Polite Provisions-San Diego, California

•       Ivy Mix-Clover Club-Brooklyn, New York

•       Jack McGarry- The Dead Rabbit-New York, New York

•       John Lermayer-Regent Cocktail Club-Miami, Florida

•       Leo Robitschek-The NoMad Hotel-New York, New York

•       Naren Young-Saxon + Parole, The Daily-New York, New York

•       Sean Kenyon-Williams & Graham-Denver, Colorado

•       Steve Schneider-Employees Only-New York, New York

Best American Brand Ambassador

•       Amanda Boccato- Lillet

•       Diego Loret de Mola-Barsol Pisco

•       Elayne Duff-Diageo Portfolio

•       Gardner Dunn-Yamazaki

•       Gaston Martinez-Milagro Tequila

•       Jackie Patterson-Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur

•       Jamie Gordon-Absolut Vodka

•       Neyah White-Yamazaki

•       Nick van Tiel-Beefeater Gin and Plymouth Gin

•       Todd Richman- Sidney Frank Portfolio

Best American Cocktail Bar

•       Anvil-Houston, Texas

•       Booker and Dax-New York, New York

•       canon: whiskey and bitters emporium- Seattle, Washington

•       Clover Club-Brooklyn, New York

•       Cure-New Orleans, Louisiana

•       Prizefighter-Emeryville, California

•       The Barrelhouse Flat-Chicago, Illinois

•       The Broken Shaker-Miami, Florida

•       The Hawthorne-Boston, Massachusetts

•       William & Graham-Denver, Colorado

Best High Volume Cocktail Bar

•       Clover Club-Brooklyn, New York

•       Flatiron Lounge-New York, New York

•       Harvard and Stone-Los Angeles, California

•       Macao Trading Co.-New York, New York

•       Polite Provisions-San Diego, California

•       Sable Kitchen and Bar-Chicago, Illinois

•       Saxon + Parole Restaurant-New York, New York

•       The Dead Rabbit-New York, New York

•       The NoMad Hotel-New York, New York

•       Vesper Bar-Las Vegas, Nevada

Best International Brand Ambassador

•       Claire Smith-Belvedere Vodka

•       Colin Asare-Appiah-Bacardi Portfolio

•       David Cordoba-Bacardi Portfolio

•       Dean Monkey Callan-Monkey Shoulder Whisky

•       Giuseppe Gallo-Martini

•       Ian Burrell-Rum Ambassador

•       Jacob Briars-Bacardi Portfolio

•       Max Warner-Chivas Regal

•       Raj Nagra-Bombay Gins

•       Stephen Myers-Illegal Mezcal

Best New Book (Cocktail/Bartending)

•       1806 Cocktails:  World History as Seen Through the Bottom of a Glass by Nick Reed

•       Craft Cocktails by Brian Van Flandern

•       Diffordsguide Gin book by DiffordsGuide.com

•       Drinks by Tony Conigliaro

•       Edible Cocktails:  Garden to Glass by Natalie Bovis

•       Gin:  A Global History by Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

•       Sanctuaria, The Dive Bar of Cocktails by Matt Seiter

•       The Tequila Ambassador by Tomas Estes

•       To Have and Have Another:  A Hemingway Cocktail Companion by Philip Greene

•       Vodka Distilled by Tony Abou-Ganim

Best New Product

•       Bartender’s Choice iPhone App

•       Cana Brava Rum

•       Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters

•       Dorothy Parker Gin

•       Filthy Black Cherry

•       Fords Gin

•       H by Hine VSOP

•       Imbue Petal and Thorn

•       Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

•       Tequila Cabeza

Best Restaurant Bar

•       Gwynnett St-Brooklyn, New York, USA

•       Imperial by Chef Vitaly Paley-Portland, Oregon, USA

•       Island Creek Oyster Bar-Boston, Massachusetts, USA

•       Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen- San Francisco, California, USA

•       No. 9 Park-Boston, Massachusetts, USA

•       Oak at fourteenth-Boulder, Colorado, USA

•       Oven & Shaker-Portland, Oregon, USA

•       Saxon + Parole Restaurant-New York, New York, USA

•       The NoMad Hotel-New York, New York, USA

•       The Roosevelt-Sydney, Australia

Self branded northern gin Langton’s No.1 joined forces with iconic northern brand MOJO at their Liverpool site to raise awareness for Hospitality Action, a charity that work with people from our industry who have fallen on hard times, whether that’s through injury, addiction or any other kind of misfortune.

To support Hospitality Action, Langton’s simply asked any participating bar to sign up to a one year membership of the charity, a cost of a fairly humble £50. In return, they would give each bar that signed up a bottle of Langton’s for the chosen competitor to practice their entry drink.

The deal was such; create an original serve using Langton’s No.1 as your main ingredient and make two of them in five minutes (time constraints that were to be taken very seriously in this comp). The prize for the winner? A full Alessi bar set, a meal for two and a nights stay at a 5 star establishment in the Lake District and your drink being used as Langton’s signature serve on their summer campaign, as well as two cases of Langton’s for your bar. Not too shabby, I’m sure you’ll agree.

As the running order was drawn, MOJO bar owner Mal Evans was doling out G&T’s fast and furiously to our 15 nervous competitors, who were:

Chris Mitchell – Luche Libre, Liverpool
Dan Crowther – Smokestack, Leeds
Clare Morrow – Sandinista, Leeds
Adam Wilson – Mojo, Leeds
Kieran Clarke – Aloha, Liverpool
Aled Sion – Mojo, Manchester
Joe Mulligan – The New Ellington, Leeds
Niall McGloin – Smokestack, Leeds
Nick Romano – Aloha, Liverpool
Ashleigh O’Hare – Mojo, Liverpool
Matt Coates – Jakes, Leeds
Stevan Levanis – Sandinista, Manchester
Lucy Hall – Peacock, Liverpool
Dimitris Mavros – Epernay, Manchester
Callum Eaton – Berry & Rye, Liverpool

Shakers at the ready as we seat our judging panel; Nick Dymoke-Marr, creator of Langton’s No.1, Paul Askew, Head Chef and Proprietor of top Liverpool restaurant The London Carriage Works and industry legend Mr. Jake Burger, who knows a thing or two about gin these days I’m sure we can all agree.

Kieran with his winning drink

Over the next couple of hours and to the tune of The Divine Comedy’s Gin Soaked Boy the judges were entertained by the famous Scouse banter and kept well oiled with fifteen varying juniper based creations. Classic combinations of gin and voilette were brought out. As well as twists on everything from a Negroni to a French 75. But alas, there could only be one winner….

…Or so I was originally led to believe! In the end 1st, 2nd and 3rd were awarded, with the judges between them conjuring up extra prizes after being so impressed with the talent that had come out to play that day.

3rd place and a bottle of Langton’s No.1 was given to Dan Crowther from Leeds bar Smokestack for his Skiddaw Cobbler, a refreshing and beautiful looking rhubarb and coriander invention. Liverpool bar Aloha brought it all home though with Nick Romano in 2nd for his green apple and falernum “Daffodil”, who received a complimentary meal for two at The London Carriage Works, and Kieran Clarke taking the main prize by matching Langton’s with his home-made Love Mix (oo-er) in the “Lake Ditrict No.9”.

A great day had by all and, to be honest, I’m glad I wasn’t judging as the drinks I tried were all incredible. A very special mention has to go to Alex Hannah and the guys at Luche Libre for supplying the brilliant food for the event (have you ever seen hungry bartenders lunging for a tray of taco’s? WOW) and all free of charge because the comp was in support of Hospitality Action. Thanks guys, you’re awesome!!!

Check out the winning drinks recipe’s here:

Lake District No. 9 by Kieran Clarke – Aloha, Liverpool

50ml Langton’s No.1
25ml Lemon juice
40ml Kieran’s Love-Mix (pink grapefruit liqueur infused with elderflower, lemongrass and granny smith apples)
15ml Egg White
Absinthe Mist

The Daffodil by Nick Romano – Aloha, Liverpool

40ml Langton’s No.1
25ml Lemon
10ml Sugar Syrup
10ml Falernum
15ml Briotett Manzana Verde
20ml Egg White

Skiddaw Cobbler by Dan Crowther – Smokestack, Leeds

50ml Langton’s No.1
12.5ml Rhubarb Liquor
12.5ml Corriander Syrup
20ml Cocchi Americano
20ml Lemon juice

The Bols Around The World competition is a huge and hugely impressive global bartending event which pits the best bartenders from the world’s best bartending countries in a series of challenges culminating with a live battle on stage in front of a 1,000 strong crowd.

Rusty in full flow

BarLifeUK were lucky enough to head to Amsterdam for the final day of competition after the previous few days had seen the original 21 semi-finalists whittled down a final 12. The judging panel responsible for this was as impressive as the list of finalists themselves, consisting, as it did, of:

Japanese bartending master and owner of Bar High Five Tokyo, Hidetsugu Ueno
The modern day Mr Tiki, author and owner of as many bad Hawaiian shirts as Lyndon Higginson, Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry
The world’s greatest cocktail historians, authors and green fingered, Anistatia Miller & Jared Brown
Head Mixologist at the Connaught Bar and always dapper, Ago Perrone
Head trainer at the Bols Bartending Academy and very difficult to spell, Malika Saidi
Last years Bols Around the World Champion Gabor Onufer

A chat with Bols UK Ambassador John Clay and Australian Ambassador Jared Plummer gave an insight into the previous few days. A non-stop series of challenges designed to test the competitors skills, commercial and marketing insight, passion for bartending and overall ability to entertain.

If that sounds like a lot of hard work don’t worry there was also plenty of time for drinking, sightseeing and to top it all off they stayed on a luxury yacht.

The final day saw the top 12 receive a presentation from John Clay on the newest member of the Bols family, Bols Honey. It has become a tradition at the Around the World final for Bols to launch something new to the world with Bols Foam and Bols Yogurt previously getting their first airings at the comp.

Bols Honey has been created very much with bartenders in mind, as John explained, solving the problem of honey stuck in the bottom of your shaker tin. We will be bringing you more news on this new product as soon as we have a UK release date.

As the bartenders prepared for the evenings festivities we got a session in the Bols Bartending Academy where a bunch of journalists all proved why they swapped Boston’s for keyboard’s (BarLifeUK and Imbibe’s Kate Pass creating one of the worst drinks in the history of bartending).

The Grand Finale

Competing in the final of a cocktail competition is nerve racking enough, chuck in the above judging panel and that increases two fold, now do that on a stage in front of 1,000 people and we have the reason adult nappies were invented.

The crowd was made up of industry folk from around the world and lucky Amsterdam locals who got to sample the free Bols cocktails. In keeping with the Bols training philosophy there were also bars dotted around the venue where guests had the opportunity to make their own drinks.

On stage each bartender was asked to produce their own signature Bols serve and then return to knock out a round of drinks in the quickest possible time. We were given sample tasters of each of the competitor’s drinks and once they’d all been tried our partisan group knew the UK’s representative, Rusty Cerven from The Connaught Bar, had a good shot at the prize.

What a prize it was too with the victor taking out an 8 day trip around the world (see what they’ve done there?!) visiting any 4 cocktail cities of their choice plus a Platinum Bols Ambassadorship which includes two trips to Amsterdam for extra training.

The reveal was suitably dramatic with each finalist standing on stage with the winner being bathed in a spotlight. The light on the night fell on Rusty and the crowd went wild (well we went wild so I couldn’t hear anything else but I’m sure they did).

His drink was superb and, from what we saw, it was a very well deserved victory. The night carried on later than was sensible with plenty of ‘To Rusty’ toasts being shared.

Rusty’s winning drink is below along with the two runners up, Mateusz Szuchik from Poland and the home town favourite Ciro Adriano de Georgio.

I’m sure Bols Around The World will be back in 2014 so keep an eye out for it because it truly is an excellent competition with an amazing prize.

First Place: William’s Punch by Rusty Cerven 

35ml Bols Genever
10ml Bols Parfait Amour
20ml home-made lemon sherbet*
20ml freshly pressed rhubarb juice
50ml Champagne
*Lemon sherbet: Grate skin of 12 lemons on a fine grater, add 200g caster sugar and muddle all together to release the oils from the zest. Add 600ml lemon juice, let it infuse for 15-20 minutes and then filter.

Pour all ingredients except for the champagne into a punch bowl, add enough ice to chill it down, top up with champagne and add garnish of grated nutmeg and lemon peel and seasonal fruit.

Second place: P-D Connection (Polish-Dutch Connection) by Mateusz Szuchnik 

45ml Genever
10ml Żubrowka bisson grass vodka
20ml Bols Green Tea
20ml fresh lemon juice
2.5ml sugar syrup 2:1
1ml Peychaud’s bitters

Ingredients all thrown before being served in a traditional Polish and Dutch porcelain serve with famous Dutch cheese and my favourite Polish biscuits. Garnished with mint leaves and thyme.

Third Place: Seduzione by Ciro Adriano de Georgio

50ml Bols Genever
10ml Galliano L’autentico
30ml fresh lemon juice
10ml Vanilla syrup
1 egg white
15ml Visciolata del Cardinale (Italian Cherry dessert wine)
1 sprinkle of Absinth

Shake all the ingredients except the Visciolata and the Absinth, dry shake and pour over fresh ice in an old fashion glass. Pour the Visciolata on top (like usually you do with Port in a New York Sour) and sprinkle the Absinth. Garnish with a grapefruit zest rolled like a small flower, served on a small tray with a lipstick, some flowers, a perfume bottle and a small mirror

There is a slower pace of life in Nicaragua – a languid, laid back civility, perfectly suited to beachside sunsets – and that pace soothes and embraces us immediately upon arrival, exhausted from a full day’s travel, in Managua.

One of the most strikingly beautiful, and least well known, tropical destinations I have ever visited, Nicaragua has quite a lot going for it. Active volcanoes. Lakes so vast they could swallow entire countries. Stunning beaches. Historic Spanish colonial towns. Luxurious seaside resorts (if you are into that kind of thing).

Oh, and rum. Lots and lots of rum. The original distillery was built in 1890, and the Flor de Caña brand itself was established in 1936. The same family still owns the business five generations later, and it is no surprise that they have gotten quite good at it.

I am not going to provide a minute by minute account of the trip – partly because that would get really old, really fast, and partly because I’d hate to ruin the surprises for those that are lucky enough to follow in my footsteps.

Cast of Characters

Bearing a striking similarity to a particularly boozy episode of Come Dine With Me (which is saying something), we greet each other with cautious optimism over heavily fried foods at Houston Airport, knowing that, in five short days, we will either be bestest mates or poisoning each other’s breakfast cereal.

Julian ‘The Smart One’ Kelly, an Amathus man with a vaguely Tintin-esque scampishness about him, arrives at the airport packing a plastic baggie full of Flor de Caña minis. Genius.

Like a cub scout, he is prepared for every eventuality throughout the trip. Unlike a cub scout, most of that preparation involves the procurement, transport, and ingestion of alcohol.

He is accompanied by Lee ‘The Jammy One’ Beviss, so named after 1- always ending up with a bottle of FdeC 18 at the end of the night (legend), and 2- scoring the best ‘room’ on the trip – a lush two story villa with sea views and three showers (?!) in San Juan del Sur.

Russell ‘The Drunk One’ Downie, our competitor from Edinburgh, is the mate who always makes you feel less tipsy than you are by consistently being more tipsy than you are. Way to live up to the reputation of your fine countrymen. LAD.

Birmingham’s own Aman ‘The Hairy One’ Johl, brings some midlands madness to the mix. With a full beard and a flowing mane of hair to the waist, he also takes the prize for sweatiest Englishman in Nicaragua.

Ben ‘The Hipster One’ Purslow wins the Worst Sunburn award, with an ass that looks like a snowbank half covered in tomato juice. Oh how we laughed (well, Ben mostly winced, but I am sure he was laughing on the inside).

Ben doesn’t like to be called a hipster. Do with that information what you will.

In addition to the comp winners, we also have two kick-ass bar managers along for the ride – Kate ‘Piña Colada’ Jackson from The Mayor of Scaredycat Town, and Brian ‘The Maltese Falcon’ Calleja from Threadneedles Hotel.

It quickly becomes apparent that this is a dangerous/awesome band of boozehounds. Nicaragua, prepare yourself.

“FREDDY!!!”

There is no way to say this without sounding like a tool, so I am just going to say it. We travel in a lovely little luxury touring van, and we have an on board bartender for the duration of our trip.

And I don’t mean ‘mixologist’. I also don’t mean a guy passing around a flask. Freddy is a bartender in the truest sense – anticipating our needs before we knew we had them, dispensing water whenever it was required, and remaining utterly unflappable in the face of some seriously unsober shenanigans. He should teach a course.

Freddy, I think I speak for the entire UK contingent when I say that you are our holiday hero.

10 dollars. 10 minutes. 87 unidentifiable fruits.

After a very short sleep, we eat our own body weight in breakfast at the hotel and pile onto the rummy little van. Oscar, our endlessly patient driver, idles the engine as we stumble into our seats.

Freddy, as stoic and unreadable as a slightly less emotional Mr Spock, begins passing out ice cold plastic cups full of Macua, the Nicaraguan national drink, made with guava juice, orange juice, fresh lime, and a healthy free pour of rum. It is 8am. We are well on our way to insobriety.

Our first stop is a surprise for the competitors – a local fruit stall, where they are told they have ten minutes to choose ingredients for their competition cocktail.

There is quite a lot of pointing (not a lot of Spanish speakers on this trip), smelling and tasting before we continue our journey, sticky-handed and smiling, to Flor de Caña’s headquarters.

FdeC HQ

“It is like an amusement park!” global brand director (and quite possibly the happiest man alive) Mauricio says gleefully as we travel from Managua to Chichigalpa, sipping on an indeterminate number of deceptively boozy Macuas.

More of an immersive experience than a distillery – the actual molasses production and distillation happens a couple of kilometres down the road – Flor de Caña provides not only spirit education, but also insight into the development of the brand, inextricably linked as it is with the history of the country itself.

In the 1980’s, during the height of the region’s political turmoil, the Nicaraguan government seized many private enterprises. In order to save the distillery from near-certain ruin, The Pellas family sent most of their considerable rum stores to Honduras.

There it would remain for years, quietly aging in charred bourbon barrels whilst the country from whence it came suffered through extremely turbulent shifts of governmental control.

As luck would have it, the distillery was spared, though the sugar cane plantations had been ransacked. When the government stabilised, the business was able to bring the rum back to Chichigalpa, and to begin bottling rum again almost immediately.

Those years in exile had produced a beautiful aged spirit, and master distiller Pedro Uriarte decided to bottle the rum true to age, forgoing the popular solera method. To this day, Flor de Caña has the single largest store of aged rum in the world.

We are taken through a tasting of the insanely smooth Flor de Caña Centenario Gold 18yr old. The sexy amber colour is appreciated. The distinctive nutty flavours are discussed and dissected. The usual look-smell-taste chat ensues.

And then we are directed to pour a drop directly onto our palms – “here we use a fourth sense to experience the rum – touch. This is unique.” (Clearly he has never been to Trailer Happiness on a Friday night, where being ‘touched’ by rum is entirely unavoidable.)

The assistant master blender points out that there is no trace of stickiness – due to the lack of additives and the fact that the rum is distilled to 96% purity before it is diluted and aged. Also, it makes my hands smell a bit like baklava for the rest of the day, which is brilliant.

The Main Event

Our tour comes to an end in an entertainment area above the enormous barrel-shaped gift shop. Yes, barrel-shaped. These guys are REALLY into barrel-aging.

The finalists begin prepping their ingredients, and it soon becomes apparent that 1- everyone has already had quite a lot of rum, and 2- everyone is going to use the blender.

To find out who won and get a full breakdown of the competition final including drink recipes check out the story here

Volcano – Lake – Island. Awestruck.

After a night at a fabulously wacky nightclub called Moods (not a strip club, but still named Moods), I was impressed to find that only one of our group was MIA for breakfast, and needed to be pried from his bed when it was time to set off for the day.

We embark at a relatively reasonable hour, obediently accept our morning cocktails from Freddy, and set out to poke around one of Nicaragua’s many active volcanoes.

Alas, the weather is not with us, blowing sulfurous smoke our way and obscuring views of the caldera. On the upside, we were all given hard hats on arrival and look like the gayest construction crew in the history of ever. We take a few hazy photos and get back on the road.

Three or four (or five) Macua cocktails later we arrive at a lush tropical marina, where a tiny speedboat with an enormous engine waits to usher us to Isla Bella, a private island owned by Sergio Pellas, brother of the owner of Flor de Caña.

As we step ashore a peacock casually waddles by, presenting his bottom to Ben rather suggestively (to be fair, Ben is asking for it). I half expect Ricardo Montalban, or at least a midget, welcoming us to a 21st century Fantasy Island.

The island is stunning and lush, and the communal spaces are clearly purpose-built for intimate family gatherings. This is an experience that can never be replicated, and surely will never be forgotten.

Gone Fishin’

After another very late night at da club (thanks for the memories, I <3 Weekend!) some of our crew manage to drag their sorry asses out of bed at 7am to go fishing. I do not, because that sounds mental.

Remarkably, they manage to catch a few fish. Less remarkably, they also successfully achieve the classic English sunburn. Pink and proud, they pile off the boat, holding their impressive catches and trying not to look utterly exhausted.

Big BIG Thanks

Big big thanks to the Flor de Caña team who hosted us so superbly. We were led down the sugarcane path by the Global PR Director and Brand ambassador, Mauricio Solórzano, who generously shared his expertise and his fresh coconuts with us (not a euphemism).

Marc Catalan, Regional Brand Manager for Europe and our minder/guide/drinking buddy for the duration of the trip, kept us from letting our hangovers get the better of us. And the fact that he is doing it all again with another group in two weeks’ time is both inspiring and terrifying.

In short, Nicaragua is awesome. Start working on your competition drink now, get yourself into next year’s regional heats, and you might be lucky enough to meet Freddy and the peacocks in person next year.

I’ve had the very lucky job of tasting a huge amount of Swizzles over the last few years, and have come to wondering what makes a ‘great’ one, rather than a ‘good’ or  ‘ok’ one, especially as the 2013 UK Swizzle Competition has just been launched and I’m about to receive a few hundred entries.

Everyone’s definition of ‘great’ versus ‘ok’ will be different of course, depending on the person and the drinking occasion, but hopefully by the end of this, I’ll have drilled down what makes some Swizzles better/more drinkable/more likely to win a cocktail comp. So let’s get started.

A great example of how the Swizzle should be so cold it ice’s the serving vessel (also how the stick can be used as garnish)

One of the main issues I’ve noticed with some of the Swizzles I’ve tasted is the dilution. This is a drink that’s vigorously mixed with crushed ice until you get a frost on the glass, so if you use the same quantities of ingredients as you do in a drink that’s built on cubes or shaken quickly, then the resulting Swizzle can taste watery.

The question is, how do you avoid making a watery drink when you can’t adjust the fact that it’s got to be swizzled with crushed ice for a good amount of time?

The right type of liquor

I think the best place to start is with everyone’s favourite Trader; Vic himself says that “a generous amount of liquor is important” and when you think about how the swizzle is mixed you can see why. He was referring to making a good frost on the outside of the glass, but of course the more liquor you add into the drink, the more you’ll be able to taste it post-swizzle.

You can use more of a light-tasting liquor, however, using a stronger-tasting or higher-ABV alcohol can equally stand up to the dilution effect. This is demonstrated in drinks like the Green Swizzle (which used some Absinthe) or the Queens Park Swizzle (which used a heavy-bodied Demerara rum as its base spirit). More on these drinks in the History of Swizzles piece from last year.

Other Swizzles that have used a similar technique are the Martinique Swizzle which uses a pastis alongside the presumably agricole (and therefore perfumed and likely to be 50-55%) rhum, and the Bermuda Swizzle which uses a heavy measure of Goslings for that full-flavour.

Viscosity at work

You can, however, also use other ingredients to help the Swizzle taste & feel less watery. Ingredients with a bit more viscosity work well as they can handle being watered down a lot, as well as ingredients with big flavours.

Looking at the drinks that made it through to the final of last year’s comp, we can see that this technique was used successfully for most of them – we had viscous ingredients such as Actimel, pear puree & coconut cream, and strongly-flavoured ingredients such as mezcal, whisky soaked pineapple, tonka syrup & port.

The ever creative Tom Higham even used egg white and coined the term (and as far as I know technique) of ‘dry swizzling’ the drink to create a thick texture before adding the ice to do a final swizzle. This worked so well he came 2^ndoverall.

Tom’s Dry Swizzle, also note the speed of his swizzling makes all around him appear blurred!

The winning drink, created by Alex Proudfoot from Raouls in Oxford, made use of a few of these techniques. He used 60ml of El Dorado 8yo (a good amount of liquor that I’m sure Vic would approve of) along with a pineapple shrub (thick & strong flavoured) and Innis & Gunn Rum Finish beer (strong flavoured) which made his drink very flavoursome and complex.

Alex has this to say about his thought process on creating his drink.

Trigger Switch

When putting my swizzle together for this competition I had a good hard think about ‘What a Swizzle actually is?’ Whilst reading up on what makes a
Swizzle a Swizzle two things stuck firmly in my mind;

1 – The definition of a Swizzle, taken from the Dictionary of vulgar tongue, is ‘…a mixture of spruce beer, rum, and sugar…’
2 – The drink from which the swizzle is said have hailed, the Switchel, was made from molasses, vinegar, and water.

With this food for thought I started thinking about flavours that would not only work well together, but stand up to the heavy dilution of being swizzled.

Cordials stand up to dilution incredibly well, and once upon a time cordials would have been cut with vinegar. This is how the idea came about for my shrub. Pineapple and rum is a no brainier and this would be my ‘Switchel’ element.

Knowing I wanted to use the El Dorado 8 year old I knew I had to go big and rich with the remainder of my flavours. With my sweet (with a hint of sour) element covered I needed to look for something that would accent the rum in a way that meant I didn’t have to use any other liquors or liqueurs, and this led me on to Innis & Gunn rum finish.

I had it on good authority that the rum barrels used in its production came from the El Dorado distillery and this would provide my ‘spruce beer’ element. Red Grapefruit was a very obvious choice for me as it is on the sweeter side of sour, plus Angostura Bitters for its traditional South American roots (full specs on Alex’s winning drink below – Ed).

Using big rich flavours but in quantities that would lend themselves to being opened up with some dilution, but also doff their hats to the history that surround a drink that is not only native to Guyana, but native to the hole Caribbean was the basis of my drink.

Get Swizzling

Creating a great Swizzle is a challenge but like all challenging things in life when you pull it off the results can be spectacular. In this case, the spectacular could be a trip to Guyana later in the year.

I hope that this article helps give you some ideas and guidance to making a great drink for the El Dorado Swizzle Competition. Please note this is by no means a definitive list of ‘must dos’ to create the perfect Swizzle but suggestions to get you moving in the right direction.

Alex’s winning Trigger Switch in 2012.

Get creative, get imaginative and most importantly get Swizzling, once you have nailed the drink enter the El Dorado Swizzle Competition right here.

(For more information on the El Dorado Distillery check out the free launch issue of the new Barlife Magazine for iPads on the App Store – Ed)

Alex Proudfoot – Raoul’s, Oxford

Trigger Switch – 2012 winner El Dorado Swizzle Competition

• 60ml El Dorado 8 year old

• 25ml red grapefruit juice

• 25ml pineapple shrub

• 25ml Innis and Gunn – Rum Cask Finish

• Dash of Angostura Bitters

Swizzle and serve with mint garnish.

However when an invitation came for me to attend a food and drink pairing collaboration between Martin Miller’s Gin ambassador and mixologist Leon Dalloway and Gorilla chef Will Taulin, I knew this would be a must.

This wonderful event was taking place in one of Manchester’s latest bars to arrive on the scene, Gorilla. Last year saw Manchester have a surge of new bars and restaurants opening and Gorilla quickly established itself as one of the top spots to visit. Good drinks, good food and good times. We would find ourselves being seated in the gin parlour, a room above the main bar and reminiscent of a traditional gin parlour of years ago.

The arrival drink was a signature Martin Millers and tonic which is served in one of their oversized, bespoke Martin Millers goblets, garnished with juniper berries and a large lime zest. This classic aperitif did exactly what a good aperitif should do – whet my palette and get my belly ready for some good food.

A short introduction to the brand by northern brand ambassador Leon Dalloway on Martin Miller’s and it’s approach to Gin making. Martin Miller’s uses a single pot, Angela, (distillers have a fondness for naming their stills) which was made back in 1898 by John Dore and sons, and is universally accepted as one of the ‘Rolls Royce’ of gin stills.

For Martin Miller’s gin there is no party for the heads and tails, both are discarded. The central part of the distillation, the heart, and only the heart of the spirit is kept. Importantly, neither Martin Miller, or Angela for that matter, hold with ‘berry trays’ or Carterheads. Sparkling bright, pure and unpolluted water is drawn from their own spring in Iceland. This is water like no other, icy cold and alive, it emerges into daylight for the first time in maybe 800 years, rising from the depths of the basalt mountains.

The room buzzing with excitement, our first cocktails and course arrived. The drink, a clever twist on The White Lady, using sage, peach and Benedictine, having a sweet but herbaceous flavour paired wonderfully with the amuse bouche of ceviche of seabream with a fresh zing to it, which balanced perfectly with the drink.

Course number two was a pulled pork rillette which was served with a tomato and chilli jam and an apple and walnut salad. The accompanying drink is a bartender favourite, the Red Snapper. The Snapper had a beautiful meaty front palate which was well seasoned by reducing a veal and pork stock, honey, balsamic vinegar and red wine. Although a very complicated palate, the Martin Millers shone through.

As a wonderful evening was being had by all, maybe a little too wonderful for some people and unfortunately this is where my pace notes get a little light. To eat we were served a seared hangar steak with celeriac and horseradish puree, with a lovely sweet jus and bit of savoury bacon which all worked a treat. The drink was an incredibly refreshing Martin Millers cobbler; a nutty, fruity, sweet yet sour cobbler. Leon took time to visit each table and explain the flavour pairing with the meat, I just forgot to write that bit down!

The final course in all its glory was a cardamom and pineapple panacotta with a rhubarb compote and almond praline as the dessert. The cocktail itself was an indulgent dessert-inspired tipple – a Martin Millers cooked custard crème brulee cocktail that had a lovely hint of salted caramel that worked up an explosion of flavour goodness when paired with the dessert.

All in all a fantastic evening, a great gin and a great bar. It was then to Epernay for many (many) more digestifs and Martin Millers.

They turned out in force with representatives from Exeter, Brighton and Oxford joining the local Bristol contingent.

There is something about this competition that very appropriately brings out the sun whenever a heat is held and as Bristol was swathed in the golden rays a group of bartenders and (surprisingly un-hungover after a night in Bristol) judges walked through the big welcoming doors of Milk Thistle.

Our gracious host Ross get’s all Blue

Despite being inside one of Bristol’s giant old buildings the beautiful weather was with us as the competition bar on the first floor was framed by a huge stain glass window which not only let in the sun but also gave each competitor an ethereal glow.

Whenever we have judged a competition in the South of England we have been blown away by the camaraderie of all bartenders. Shown not only in the support of each other but in the respect they show when others are presenting.

Over the past few years Bristol and Reading have shone out when it came to competition winning drinks, but as Bob Dylan said Times They Are A Changin’. Oxford have recently been on a bit of a run of results and Brighton, Exeter and Bournemouth are hot on their heels. This heat showed that trend shows no sign of abating.

Each contestant had to make a Twist on a Dirty Martini and a Mediterranean Inspired Cocktail. The variety of drinks and presentations the judging panel of BarLifeUK, Joe Caro from Gin Mare and Jennie Rae from BarChick.com were presented with kept us well entertained and watered.

The Drinks

We had a Barcelona FC inspired cocktail and presentation from Oxford’s Dan with each ingredient being likened to a member of the great team. Whilst his Oxford compatriot Scott gave us a sharing drink in a fishbowl with the superb name of ‘Knicker Dropper Glory’.

This competition has a history of female bartenders doing exceptionally well and Chelsea from Bristol’s The Rummer kept this going with a Sangria twist which I could have happily drunk a couple of jugs of sat on a beach in Ibiza.

James already dressed for Ibiza

Our host bar Milk Thistle had three competitors enter and it was Ross who’s ‘Blue Drink’ got the biggest ‘Oooooohs’ of the day from the crowd. However it was another Milk Thistle-ite who took second place, Mr Matt Fairhurst with two beautifully balanced drinks. Unfortunately he wasn’t there to collect his prize of a bottle of Gin Mare so we very kindly drunk it for him!

First place went to a new face on the Bristol bar scene (so new in fact you could almost mark this down as a win for Bath), James Bridges from Hausbar who impressed the judges with his drinks and Mediterranean style presentation.

James will be winging his way to Ibiza in August for the UK Final and the chance to win £4,500 in the Global Final the following day.

A big thank you to Bristol in general for their hospitality, everyone for making the effort to come along, Ross and the rest of the Milk Thistle crew for being such great hosts and CASK Liquid Marketing and Gin Mare for putting on such a great competition.

If you want to get to Ibiza and be in for the chance to win £4,500 there are still heats coming in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. To find out more details and how to enter click here.

James’s winning drinks below:

Thatsa Mare

James Bridges – Hausbar

Mediterranean Inspired Cocktail - Thatsa Mare

• 50ml Gin Mare

• 25ml organic unwaxed Sicilian lemon juice

• 15ml orange blossom honey

• 3 muddled cherry tomatoes

• Pinch Mediterranean sea salt

Shaken and served straight up in a frozen coupette garnished with a whole cherry tomato w/ rosemary sprig.

Dirty Martini Twist - The Olive Branch

The Olive Branch

• 50ml Gin Mare

• 10ml green peppercorn infused Vermouth

• Barspoon green peppercorn brine

Stirred and served straight up in a frozen martini glass with a drop of black truffle oil in centre and olive leaf garnish.

Whatever your thoughts on some of the more ‘ethereal’ bartending philosophies out there, check out Charlie Chaplin’s shaking shoulder bob… I’m sure I’ve seen someone else do that.

*think it is stupid

Over the last few months teams of bartenders from across England & Scotland have been fighting it out to prove they are the best in their area of the country (and win some nice cold hard cash).

First up at the London Boutique Bar Show, Team Bristol defended their crown with an unforgettable presentation based on the cities nautical roots. Following that Team Newcastle proved triumphant at the Scottish Boutique Bar Show now it is time for the North of England’s cities to battle it out.

Each team will consist of 5 bartenders presenting a Brugal sharing drink. If the last competitions are anything to go by these presentations are not to be missed. Leeds, Chester and Birmingham are heading to Manchester to tackle two local teams, including the competitions first over ladies only team.

The Great Brugal Rumble kicks off at 3:30pm but there are plenty more reasons to visit the Manchester Boutique Bar Show. Taking place on May 1st at the Manchester Town Hall from 11am – 5:30pm the speakers list looks very impressive:

Jared Brown & Anistatia Miller at 12pm talking about the influence of Cuban Cocktails on the modern bartender
Andy Campana at 1:15pm will be studying the DNA of the Cocktail with a scientific look into flavour matching, effects of temperature, PH and flavour intensity over time.
Cleo Rocos will be on at 2:30pm looking at The Power of Positive Drinking with extracts from her new book

Add to the mix plenty of exhibitors showing their latest booze related products and it is a day not to be missed. Get your free ticket by clicking right here.

A full report on the competition will be on BarLifeUK very soon.

Hundreds of bartenders across the UK vied for the opportunity to compete in one of the three regional heats, with a particularly brilliant prize hanging in the balance – a trip to Nicaragua for the UK final.

Aman Johl, Ben Purslow, and Russell Downie were taken to a local fruit stall, where they were given ten dollars and ten minutes to choose ingredients for their competition cocktail. To their credit, all three took inspiration from the stunning quality of the local produce, and the results were uniformly delicious.

After much deliberating (during which time the rest of us helped ourselves to the leftover cocktails) Russell Downie was declared the official winner, and we celebrate by drinking quite a lot more rum.

Russell Downie, professional fruit fondler.

Agua de Caña – Russell Downie, Tonic (Edinburgh)

• 
75ml flor de Cana
• 50ml orange juice
• 50ml grapefruit juice
• 1/2 passion fruit
• 
2 chunks mango
• 
1 chunk pineapple

Garnished with a pineapple and half a passion fruit filled with rum and on fire (ish), served with a lot of attitude, and some serious mugging for the camera.

A full report of the spectacular trip to sunny, sexy Nicaragua will be featured in the next issue of BarLife Magazine, available for the iPad.

Diageo has announced the launch of  ‘From the Bar’, a new campaign for its premixed drinks portfolio, supported by new product development and a £2 million marketing spend.  The campaign is designed to drive penetration in premix by educating consumers.

Diageo hopes to capitalise on the growing trend of at home cocktail consumption by repositioning their premixed beverage portfolio, whilst still offering the products at an accessible price point.

Natasha Chapman, Shopper Marketing Manager at Diageo GB, comments: “Premix is the fastest growing alcohol segment in the UK, up 22% in value and 17% in volume year-on-year, so there is a real opportunity for retailers to increase sales by stocking premix drinks from well-known brands such as Gordon’s, Pimm’s and Smirnoff.”

Investment in new product development has increased significantly as well. In March 2013, Gordon’s introduced two premix cans – Gordon’s & Tonic with cucumber and Gordon’s & Tonic with elderflower. Pimm’s has also launched a new limited edition premix can – Blackberry and Elderflower.

Last year BarLifeUK decided to prove that the misconception that everyone in our industry is out of shape, pasty and sportingly challenged was wrong. As it turned out we did the mirror opposite and proved it 100% correct.

What fine specimens of human beings we are.

Entering the London Last Man Stands Cricket League, after a couple of net sessions which saw bowling of such speed and power batting of such ferocity that we broke three bats, there was talk of winning our league. After 7 games and 7 losses we were over the moon when we were told we were the most ‘fun’ team in the league (small victories!).

We certainly looked the part. Warm up catching sessions prior to every game, matching kit and caps for each member of the squad courtesy of our team sponsor El Dorado Rum.

That was until we took to the field. Here are a few examples of our incompetence over the season:

• Game 1 saw Stu ‘Teflon’ Hudson take a rather special catch only for a pack of cigarettes to fall out of his top pocket leading the umpire to think he had dropped the ball
• Andy ‘Fingers’ Ives was unable to keep wicket after practice sessions saw his fingers swell to such a size his couldn’t put the gloves on
• James ‘Youth Box’ Wynn-Williams managed to run someone out using his right moob after falling over
• Simon ‘Captain my Captain’ Webster ran three people out in 6 innings by being shit
• Joe ‘The Stokoe’ Stokoe invented a new type of delivery named ‘The Stokoe’ which not only fails to bounce but also manages to clear the batsman’s head
• Ciaran ‘Duck’ McNicholas was carted off to hospital in the second over of his first game with a ball in his eye-socket after failing to catch the ball
• Ed ‘Receding’ McAvoy managed to get out in the first game off the same ball as his opening partner. Yep one ball bowled and two wickets lost!

But let’s not dwell entirely on the negatives, there were some plus sides too. These were usually fuelled by the bottle of El Dorado rum, which was donated to each game to keep our spirits up:

If only Ed had been stood there, it would have sailed miles over his head.

• Adam ‘Freddy’ Seidman, Barry ‘The Machine’ Halstead and Paul ‘No Helmut Will Fit’ Williams reached 50’s which saw them forced to retire before returning later in the innings
• Tim ‘I Was Vice Captain’ Homewood teaming up with Dub Dub to form an unstoppable stumping partnership
• Pre-game Daiquiri’s on the last game of the season
• Our umpire was called Harsh

This year we are back. We are improved. We are experienced. We are going to win a game damn it!

The good news is El Dorado are back on board so win or lose we get rum each game. The better news is our league this year contains lots of teams who haven’t played before.

Now it’s time for the call out. Do you work in the industry? Are you free some Monday or Tuesday nights? Can you hold a bat the right way up/throw a ball more than 10 yards/run more than 12 yards? Fancy a game?

Also any other UK city got an industry cricket team and fancy a game? Get in touch.

If so please email simon@barlifeuk.com and hopefully we’ll see you on the wicket. We are also after supporters (ideally cheerleaders) to help us celebrate our wins.

On May 15^th, Miles Kane (former co-frontman of The Last Shadow Puppets and The Rascals) will be playing The Zanzibar in Liverpool.

Uncle Jack has kindly given us some tickets for BarLifeUK readers. If you would like the chance to win a pair, email us at editorial@barlifeuk.com with your name, the name of your bar, your email address and a phone number.

Please not this competition is open to UK bar professionals over the age of 18 only.

Whilst we haven’t been privy to the number of entries Diageo received from bartenders across Europe we have no doubt it was enough to make the first round of judging a herculean task. From all of those entries 4 have been chosen to progress to the next round, a boot camp.

The boot camp will consist of 4 days developing their products at Diageo’s Global Technical Innovation Centre before facing the judges at a live final on 24th May. Those 4 are:

Atalay Aktas, Schwarze Traube, Germany
His product, PomBelle, is a rose-tinted liqueur macerated with fresh, sharp pink grapefruit. Smooth and honey-like, this citrusy spirit is perfect for summer cocktails.

Dee Davies, Hyde & Co, Bristol, UK
The first of two UK representatives, Dee pitched Jin. Jin is a Japanese Gin, an earthy and spicy spirit, distilled from Sake, with subtle notes of ginger and a balanced citrus undertone from lemongrass.

Naomi Mason, Yum Yum Ninja, Brighton, UK
The other UK flag flyer is Naomi whose Ripley Forge is designed to give a new edge to the whisky category. This is an English whisky blended with vanilla and the juice of blackberries. Smokey, peaty notes sit in perfect harmony with the sweet juiciness of the blackberries and the smooth creaminess of the vanilla notes.

Fjalar Goud, Mystique Bar, Netherlands
Fjalar’s creation is Cooper, a spiced version of a six-year old Dutch Jenever (spirit made with malt-wine, neutral spirit and juniper berries). He infuses the spirit with tonca beans for a warm marzipan taste, followed by Madagascan vanilla and hibiscus. This yields a mellow, aromatic flavour profile – pricked with complex floral notes and a light bitterness.

A huge congratulations to those 4, but that is only half the story. You see there is a 5th spot up for grabs. A 5th spot with 19 bartenders vying for it. A 5th spot that Diageo are inviting you to have a hand in deciding.

The Show Your Spirit website is asking for your votes, the most votes gets through. We encourage you to get voting, we encourage you not to vote based on who you know but to vote on the product on offer. You see whichever of the 5 finalists wins has their product made, therefore you get to have it in your bar, therefore you want something you can use, something that excites you. Have a look and get involved:

Alex Kratena – Infinity – Distilled from the finest grain, this spirit is rich, floral and aromatic.
Andreas Stern-Peltz – Repeal Spirits: Original Peach Brandy – A peach brandy made from peaches that have been distilled and aged.
Arnd Henning Heiaen – Umeshu Tanuki – Shochu based plum liquor with sweetness coming from honey and stevia.
Boudy Ghostine – Qawha Lungo – A dark, sweet, aromatic rum coffee liqueur.
Charlotte Halsius – Basil Liqueur – Basil infused liqueur
David Gerrans – Turner’s Herbal – Reminiscent of a cottage garden, this spirit is nuanced with wild flowers, fruits, herbs and honey.
Dennis Zoppi – Camellia – A new spirit made from a distillate of tea leaves with the potential to use different varieties of tea.
George Yiannakis – Pikroma – A vodka based bitter spirit infused with 43 different ingredients.
Heinz Kaiser – Roque Choque – A luxury chocolate liqueur with orange notes and a hint of Roquefort Blue Cheese.
Humberto Marques – Boutonniere Gin Liqueur – A fruit and herbal liqueur based on gin, which pairs the aromas of Aromacot and lemon verbena.
Jan Martensson – Fever Grass – A bitter-sweet vodka/liqueur hybrid with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.
Matthew Soares – MJ – Rum infused with botanicals and distilled like a gin.
Miguel Angel Jimenez Armas – Guatemalan Cream NS23 – Premium chocolate flavoured rum.
Monica Berg – Velvetier – Botanical Spirit with aroma inspired from enchanting world of perfumes.
Pal Skar – Figure – A Middle Eastern inspired liqueur with the taste of figs and strength of a brandy or cognac.
Samuel Kingue Ebelle – Hibiscus Liqueur – A liqueur with rich, fruity and floral flavours and hints of spices.
Tobias Blazquez-Garcia – ‘Decocta’ Golden Vermouth – A vintage golden vermouth made with fine wine and blended with spices.
Tom Zyankali – Absinthe Belle Alliance – Absinthe with a contemporary herbal twist.
Victor Delpierre – Coffee Show – High quality, nuanced coffee spirit.

There is more information on each of the hopefully 19’s creations at http://www.showyourspiritcompetition.com/ and this is also where you can get your vote on.

Heineken are embarking on an exciting new project to ensure ‘Best in Glass’ quality for customers and consumers, As a result an excellent opportunity has arisen to become a Heineken Ambassador in areas across the UK, managing and implementing inspiring training sessions in an array of leading pubs/bars. 

Working hours will be flexible and although part of a team, you will be able to plan your own working week.

Heineken are looking for the following:

• Experience demonstrating/presenting to groups
• Must be over 25 years old
  UK driving licence
• Energetic, Enthusiastic passionate, with a can-do attitude
• Excellent people skills
• Ability to organise your own workload
• Constant hunger for new knowledge
• Computer literate

Responsibilities will include:

• Scheduling and booking training calls
  Compile regional plans and manage on-going
• Run in outlet training sessions – reaching agreed targets
• Create excitement around the project
• Communicate incentives and rewards to Bar Managers and Bartenders
• Develop and maintain relationships with Bar Managers/Bartenders and HEINEKEN sales team
• Data capture and reporting

Salary: £78 per day plus bonus + car (Based on working 5 days a week)

If you’re interested they will be holding the following interview sessions:
22nd April London
23rd April Birmingham
25th April Newcastle

You must be available on the F2F Interview, Training and Scheduling days.

Training – 15th, 16th, 17th May
Scheduling – 20th May – 31st May
Live activity – 3rd June – 18th August Further Dates TBC (Based on working 5 days a week)

To apply email heineken@rpmltd.com with a current CV – Headshot and Brief description that you meet the requirements.

If you like your beer this is a great opportunity.