November 28th, 2008
Ginger – ooh la la
Calling all Boston imbibers: This Monday, December 1, a group of Boston bartenders will compete in the semi-finals of the Domaine de Canton 2009 Bartender of the Year contest. The competition will, of course, involve mixing an original cocktail using the exquisite new French cognac-based, real ginger-infused liqueur.
The event takes place upstairs at the Beehive in the South End from 5:00-7:00 (after the judges have made their selection) and features complimentary appetizers and Domaine de Canton cocktails. It’s open to the public, but you gotta RSVP by emailing paul@tipplingbros.com.
The contestants are:
Jennifer Harvey – 33 Restaurant & Lounge
Mike Paquette – Scampo Restaurant
Bob McCoy – Eastern Standard
Josh Caron – Five Fifty-Five
Steven Shur – Boston College Club
Jeff Grdinich – White Mountain cider Co.
Clif Travers – The Beehive
Chris Whitney – Alibi Bar & Lounge
The judges (with their titles quoted verbatim from the invite) include:
John Gertsen. Cocktail Guru – No.9 Park & Drink
Liza Weisstuch. Sprits & Lifestyle Writer – Imbibe Magazine, Whisky Magazine, Massachusetts Beverage Business
Misty Kalkofen. Mixologist Extraordinaire – Drink, Founder LUPEC Boston
See you there!
Permalink | Filed under Cocktails, Events, Liqueur | Tags: bartender, contest, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, mixology
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Any 4-1-1 on the results and/or recipes?
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Fred, I came down with a nasty cold and wasn’t able to make it to the contest. I will try to provide some follow-up as soon as I can!
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 am
Ah Lauren, sorry you weren’t able to make it! That’s a bummer. I like your Ginger pic above, by the way…
The winners were:
Bob McCoy of Eastern Standard with his cocktail, The Bandrek Fizz
Clif Travers with his cocktail, Vow of Silence
The competition here in SF last night was truly brilliant and I heard good things about Chicago as well.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
And here are the recipes. And by the way, the finalists in each city are flown to St. Martin to compete for the $10K grand prize. Wow.
BANDREK FIZZ (Bob McCoy of Eastern Standard)
1 oz Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur
1 oz Infused Batavia Arrack*
1/2 oz White Creme de Cacao
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 Dash of Elemakule Tiki Bitters**
1 Egg White
Dry Shake to emulsify the egg. Add ice and shake some more. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with candied ginger.
*Infused Batavia Arrack
Toast 20 cloves, 10 green peppercorns, and 5 cardomom pods over medium/high heat, tossing frequently until the distinct aromas have been released. Add them to a large airtight glass jar with 1 1/2 liters of Batavia Arrack and the peels of 20 lemons and 5 oranges. Close and let sit for 14 to 19 days. Finely strain and bottle.
**Elemakule Tiki Bitters
A specialty cocktail bitters featuring flavors of allspice, star anise, cardomom, and citrus
VOW OF SILENCE (Clif Travers of the Beehive)
1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin (or other London Dry)
3/4 oz Domaine de Canton
1/2 oz Lillet blonde
1/2 oz grapefruit juice
1/4 oz lemon juice
Combine in a chilled shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a grapefruit channel.