BarLifeUK have been looking forward to the Appleton Estate Bartender Challenge for ages.
Richard Tring
Judging the heats gives us the chance to travel up and down the UK, drinking rum cocktails and seeing how the various regions perform.
We have to say, with two heats down, the boys and girls in Bristol really shone, and a few of the West London competitors could have done with taking a leaf or two from their book.
If you are competing in one of the coming heats, make sure you bone up on your classic rum cocktails, particularly the Mai Tai.
There are two drink-making rounds to the Bartender Challenge, and a few competitors have clearly worked hard on their original cocktail, only to blow it when making a Mai Tai… Which, in a rum competition, is pretty unforgiveable.
Bristol Winner and Honorable Mention
First place – Richard Tring
The Bristol Connection
50ml Appleton VX
15ml Amer picon
10ml Cider syrup
2 dash Orange bitters
Stir, serve in a coupette glass with a Grapefruit garnish
Rachel Ramshall-Smith
Honorable Mention – Rachel Ramshall-Smith
The Republic
50ml Appleton’s VX
20ml Home made baked banana sugar syrup
10ml Campari
5ml: Wray and Nephew infused banana spiced joy!
Stir down and served in a coupette and zest with orange (discard the peel).
Joshua Reynolds
West London Winner – Joshua Reynolds
Queens Estate
50ml Appleton VX
20ml Dubonnet Rouge
15ml Benedictine
2 dashes St Elizabeth Allspice Dram
Garnish (Pink Grapefruit Twist, Discarded.) Served – Coupette
