Alex continues his winning streak and will head to St. Martin for the Global final and the chance to win $10,000
Cocktail competitions hosted by liqueur brands often spark an extra level of creativity in competitors.
This happens because the brand needs to be well represented in the drink, but as ever balance of flavour is paramount.
To achieve both aims, and create a recipe that can stand up outside of the competition, bartenders really have to think about flavour, and sometimes look to unusual ingredients.
The UK final of the Domaine de Canton competition, held last week at the Shaftsbury Avenue London Cocktail Club, proved to be a case in point, with some incredible drinks offered to the judges, along with some really first rate food pairing.
The stakes were high, too, as the ultimate aim was to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Stuart Fritz, who represented the UK at the global final in St. Martin, which he went on to win, pocketing $10,000 in the process.
There were four or five drinks that were universally rated by the competition judges, and in the final count, there was just half a point separating first and second place.
Alex Proudfoot, fresh from his recent heat-win during the Appleton Estate Bartender Challenge, presented the Merchant Milk Punch, which was one of the best that BarLifeUK have tasted this year, and took a completely different and original approach to using Domaine de Canton in a cocktail.
Second place went to The Portobello Star’s Jake Burger. It was great to see him on the competition stage again and his presentation skills remain some of the best on the circuit.
A special mention was made to Luca Missaglia of Quo Vadis who was also right on the money. Neither Jake or Luca put a foot wrong, they were just narrowly beaten by a fantastic drink from Alex.
The drinks
Alex Proudfoot, Raoul’s Bar: The Merchant Milk Punch
- 50ml Almond milk
- 50ml Domaine de Canton
- 25ml Bols Genever
- 10ml Dry Curacao
- 2 Large dashes Peychuad’s bitters
Combine and shake briefly with cubed ice. Double strain and dust with grated nutmeg,
Jake Burger, The Portobello Star: The Dingaling
- 25ml A.E. Dor VSOP Cognac
- 25 Lillet Blanc
- 25ml Domaine de Canton
Mist glass with orange flower water and fill with ice to chill. Combine ingredients and shake. Strain over hand-cracked ice. Crown with a layer of mineral water, garnish with an orange twist and a mint sprig.
Luca Missaglia, Quo Vadis: Aperitif de Canton
- 25ml Licorice infusion (grain spirit)
- 25ml Bergamot
- 45ml Domaine de Canton
Shake, double strain. Garnish with bergamot zest. Served with a plate of Quo Vadis oysters.