Appleton Estate Bartender Challenge Bristol & West London Results

BarLifeUK have been looking forward to the Appleton Estate Bartender Challenge for ages.

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

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).

 

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