UKBG NATIONAL COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2011

TOP FOUR FROM UKBG NATIONAL COCKTAIL COMPETITION FINAL 2011 COMPETE

On Wednesday the 19th of October the UKBG held a mini competition between the top four from the National final, at the Bombay Sapphire Experience at Vinopolis.

Photography by Tom Elms To see more photos from the day please click here.

UKBG NATIONAL COCKTAIL COMPETITION FINAL 2011

On Monday the 4th of July the UKBG held the Final of the National UKBG cocktail competition, sponsored by Bombay Sapphire Gin, at the wonderful The Four Seasons Hotel.

Photography by Tom Elms To see more photos from the day please click here.

THE RESULTS

Winner (he will represent the UKBG at The IBA World Cocktail Final) Bruno Do Nascimento from Dorchester Bar

2nd Place (he will represent the UKBG at The Mattoni Competition in Czech in October) Michael McAdam from Fairmount St Andrews, Scotland

3rd Place Simone Caporale from Artesian at The Langham's

4th Place Rusty Cerven from the Connaught

5th Place Ivan Arena Amaranto from The 4 Seasons

6th Place Fabrizio Thiella fromThe Lanesborough

The above were judged on the After dinner with Gentleman Jack

The 4 most promising Twisted Tom Collins

Ivan Arena from Amaranto at the 4 Seasons

Nathan Merriman from the American Bar at The Savoy

Simone Caporale from Artesian at The Langham's

Rusty Cerven from The Connaught

Best Technical Tom Aske from Purl London

UKBG NATIONAL COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2011 SCOTISH HEAT

First time visitors to Edinburgh, Tom Elms and David Guidi must have thought they had arrived in the tropics when they arrived in Edinburgh, ‘ The Athens of the North’, for the Bombay Sapphire Collins Cocktail Competition. The rain was positively torrential for the duration of their stay, but then it was midsummer day (and it was murder) but I think they enjoyed what they saw of the city and may even be persuaded to return.

Competitors arrived in Bar Lulu from all over the country, with Jamie Stephenson travelling all the way from Manchester a round trip of 650 miles. Other long distance travellers came from Sutherland,430 miles, Saint Andrews,180 miles, Turnberry 200 miles and Stranraer 300 miles Your intrepid correspondent was the closest, only 40 miles.

With everyone registered, fed and ready for the fray it was time to get down to the business in hand, to win a place in the London final and the opportunity to represent the UKBG at the World Cocktail Competition in Warsaw in November.

Competitors had to devise a drink based on a “Collins” i.e. it had to contain Gin, Lemon Juice and Sugar and then they had to give it their own twist . The imaginative use of a huge variety of additional ingredients led to some fabulous cocktails which must have presented the judges, David Guidi Bar Manager of the Four Seasons (venue of the final), Alex Turner and Shervene Shahbazkhani of Bacardi with a difficult task but eventually the result was announced with Jamie Stephenson from Corridor, Manchester the winner, Masimo Lisi from L’Aperitif, Stranraer second and Raphael Marinoni from West Brewery, Glasgow taking third spot.

Abigail Edwards from the Fairmont Hotel & Spa in Saint Andrews, taking part in her first competition, took the efficiency prize with a clean slate. She will join the first three prize winners at the final in London where they will also be joined by Michael MacAdam from Fairmont, Saint Andrews and Jerome Chevet from Skibo Castle Hotel & Spa.

An interesting aside is the fact that Jamie, Masi and Jerome have represented the UKBG at past WCCs.
Good luck to them all in the final.

Our thanks go to Alex Turner and Bacardi Brown Forman, to The Montpelier Group for the venue and to ‘Paparazzi Tom’ for always showing our best side.

Jim Slavin - National Administrator

Photography by Tom Elms To see more photos from the day please click here.

UKBG NATIONAL COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2011 LONDON HEAT

On Tuesday the 7th of June the UKBG held the London heat of the National UKBG cocktail competition, sponsored by Bombay Sapphire Gin, at the Light Bar of the stylish St Martins Lane Hotel, hosted by Bar Manager Roland Csombor and his bar team, we would very much like to thank them for their help and support throughout the day.

The competition was judged by a host of professional bar managers and dignitaries they were: Davide Guidi from Four Seasons, Amit Sood and John Clay from Shaker UK, the one and only Ago Perrone from the Connaught Hotel, Alex Turner Head of Product Training and Mixolgy from Bacardi Brown-Forman, the talented Alex Kratena from the Artisian Bar at the Langham Hotel, Mr. Nightjar himself Marian Beke, Chris Moore Head Bartender at the Savoy, and our very own Mr. Daniel Crebesse the UKBG President.

34 skillful cocktail makers took part bring their versions of the “Tom Collins”. The huge variety of concoctions made were astounding, considering they were all base on the same classic recipe. Nearly every ingredient under the sun was used to compliment the subtle notes and complex flavors of Bombay Sapphire Gin. Some chose to shake, others stirred and some rolled their drinks from shaker to shaker and others topped their drinks with delicious foams but they all looked great.
Almost as impressive as the cocktails were the number of Bartenders from some of the top London Bars who came to support their fellow Bartenders and made the atmosphere electric. The day was a great success with special guest like Brian Page & Peter Dorelli who are Legends in our industry,
Out of the 34 competitors 18 will go forward to the final which will take place on July 4th, the winner of that final will represent the UKBG in Poland at the IBA competition.

The day was organised and supervised very successfully by Luca Cordiglieri, Vice President UKBG & Bar Manager at the China Tang at The Dorchester Hotel, Stefano Cossio from The Savoy, & Sebastien Guesdon, London Chairman, Bar Manager of Roast Restaurant, and Roberto Bongo from the Connaught Hotel.

See you all on the 4th for the final, that if it is anything like the London heat will be fantastic.

Mike Sweetman,
London Vice-Chairman,

UKBG NCC London Heat Winners (1 of 1)

Photography by Tom Elms To see more photos from the day please click here.

To download the Entry Form 2011 Please click here.

To download the National Rules 2011 Please click here

To download Technical Jury Sheet Please click here

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE/ UKBG NATIONAL COCKTAIL COMPETITION 2011 RULES

Grand Final
London: Monday the 4th July TBC

Regional Heats
London and South: Tuesday 07th June 2011Light Bar St Martins Lane Hotel
North and Scotland: Tuesday 21st June 2011 TBC

All the venues are to be confirmed but the competitions will be held during the day.

Key Points
• On the entry form there will 3 questions regarding Bombay Sapphire you can find the answers on www.bombaysapphire.com
• For the heats you will be asked to make a twist on a Tom Collins with relaxed rules. Please see rules on page 3.
• The finalists will be decided on their Twisted Tom Collins creation.
• The finalists will have to create an after dinner Cocktail with IBA rules (Rules on page 3) as well as make the Twisted Tom Collins again.
• The winner of the after dinner cocktail will represent the UKBG at the World Cocktail Competition. There also will be prizes for second, third and best technical.
• The 3 most promising Tom Collins winners will, through their own initiatives and in partnership with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, drive
awareness and buzz around their cocktail for 3 months.
• The Tom Collins Ultimate winner will go to a trip to Tuscany in November.

GENERAL COMPETITION RULES
• Deadline for entries are as follow:
Tue the 31st May for the Twisted Tom Collins for the Heats.
Mon the 27th June for The After dinner Cocktail for the Finalists.
• Please Email all your entries to Stefano Cossio at s.cossio@hotmail.co.uk with Bombay Sapphire/UKBG Cocktail Competition in the subject line
• There will be a final shake-off in the final to decide the winner of the After-Dinner in the final.
• Open to only UKBG members, but all bartenders can join the UKBG on the day of the comp or via Pay Pal for a special rate of £25
Please visit www.ukbg.co.uk for more information.
• The dress code is smart casual for the heats.
• In the final all competitors are required to compete in a suit
• Cocktails will only be judged on Appearance, Aroma and Taste.
• Efficiency prize will be awarded by the UKBG to highest scoring technical competitor with the best tasting cocktail.
• In the Heats 4 glasses (3 for the juries, 1 for the public) will be sufficient in
the heat.
• In the Heats each competitor is limited to seven (7) minutes in mixing the drinks, including assembly of the garnishes
• Bombay Sapphire will be provided for heats and final. Gentleman Jack will be provided in the final.
• Competitors to bring their own glasses. Glasses must be with no identifiable signs. E.G. logos, marks etc.

TWISTED TOM COLLINS RULES
1- The drink must contain Bombay Sapphire, Citrus, Sugar and soda and served in a tall glass with ice.
2- Infusions, barrel ageing of ingredients and homemade products, are all allowed however to be eligible to enter the competition they must be easily made and a full recipe must be included.
3- Minimum of 35 ml of Bombay Sapphire.
4- Bombay Sapphire the only base spirit to be used.
5- The maximum number of alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients in the Cocktail is limited to Six (6), including syrups, fruit juices, dashes and drops and fresh fruit.
6- Any substitutions and questionable ingredients in a competitor's original recipe must have the approval of the UKBG Committee before mixing.

AFTER DINNER COCKTAIL RULES:
1. Each competitor must submit a drink recipe containing a minimum of 35ml of Gentleman Jack. For more info please go to http://www.jackdaniels.com/GentlemanJack/default.aspx
2. The base content (volume of alcohol) of the cocktail recipe will not exceed 70ml.
3. Each recipe will contain at least 2 (two) alcoholic ingredients but no more than four (4).
4. The maximum number of alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients in the Cocktail is limited to Six (6), including syrups, fruit juices, dashes and drops and fresh fruit.
5. Carbonated and non Carbonated water are allowed
6. Dairy products will consist only of milk, cream and eggs.
7. Home made - or self-made ingredients or the blending of few ingredients to be counted as one will not be allowed.
8. The blending of few ingredients to be counted as One (1) ingredient is not allowed.
9. Spraying an ingredient (vapour) from a canister shall not be allowed.
10. Only one base Spirit is accepted. (i.e. the mixing of brandy, gin, rum, etc. will not be allowed),
11. All drinks shall be either: hand stirred, hand shaken or blended in an electric mixer (competitors will have to supply their own blender).
12. Hot mixes/cocktails are not allowed.
13. Garnishes shall consist only of edible fruit or vegetables and will not be arranged so as to display identifiable signs and must be prepared on the day.
14. Artificial arrangements or food-dyes are not allowed.
15. Fruits, vegetables or herbs and/or items derived like leaves, stems and pips from fruits, vegetables or herbs may be used. The use of flower and any kind of candy will not be permitted.
16. Cocktails should be garnished only after they are prepared on stage. Placing the garnish on the glassware prior to preparing the cocktail would not be accepted.
17. Any substitutions and questionable ingredients or garnishes in a competitor's original recipe must have the approval of the UKBG Committee before mixing.