Battle of the Bartenders Cocktail Comp.

Earlier in the year myself and some colleagues from work decided to put together a cocktail competition to see what the London west end bartenders were made of.  Most cocktail competitions tend to put restrictions and guidelines on what bartenders can make and serve to the judges. So we decided to break down the barriers and open the flood gates for creativity. We said to the competing mixologists to create the best possible drink they can in 5 minutes, using any ingredients possible. We encouraged the use of home-made syrups and infusions, along with the freedom to use spirits and liqueurs which may not be found on many back bars.

The results to this 'no limits' competition were amazing. The standard of creativity shown from the bartenders was exceptional. We saw ingredients such as home made white chocolate liqueur, hazelnut infused spirits, carrot infused spiced rum, just to name a few.

The winning cocktail, “The Chuppa-tini"

This was also an opportunity to bring the bar-tending community together for 1 night and share ideas and thoughts about the cocktail bar trade in London's famous west end. At the end of the fun filled night, we had one cocktail which stood out from the rest.  The "Chuppa-tini" was our winner. We were not entirely sure what was in this concoction. From what we could see, it consisted of muddled watermelon and home made white chocolate liqueur along with a few other mystery ingredients. It was garnished with a chuppa-chup lollipop, along with a slice of fresh watermelon. It tasted absolutely amazing.

Everybody had a great night, and the question of when our next cocktail competition was brought to our attention. We may have to invite the bartenders back for another battle.

Check out the video: