Cocktail Contest: “Less is More”
Monday, March 25th 5pm at Spirit of York (Distillery District, Toronto)
UPDATE: Competitors have been announced for this! This event is open to the public. Come down to cheer on the competitors (and have a cocktail or two!)
The following bartenders will be competing in this comp:
Maria Paterakis – A Toi
Rob Renda – Don Alfonso 1890 Toronto
Marian Walsh – Saltlick Smokehouse / Bar Sazerac
Chris Rail – Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto
Nick Incretolli – Bar Sazerac Bar Sazerac
Alessandro Aureli – Buca Osteria & Bar
Marlene Thorne – Famous Last Words Toronto
Oliver Skaab – Miss Thing’s
8 Competitors. The top Canadian winner will travel to France in May to compete in the Global Finals. The event is open to the public and anyone can come to witness the competition. There will be food and cocktail specials on offer.
Competitors will have 5 minutes to set up their bar and 8 minutes to create their cocktail in front of the three judges. Each of the competitors will make 3 identical cocktails.
Create a drink with only 2 main ingredients including Giffard Caribbean Pineapple Liqueur
- Use at least 20ml of Giffard Liqueur
- You can use complementary ingredients (expressed in dash, drop, splash…)
- Bitters, sauces, marmalade
- peels, fruits, plants, roots, spices
- sparkling, still or soda water, tonic (not flavoured tonic)
- Homemade Liqueurs and Syrups are forbidden.
- Contest includes a “charisma” component. Bartender will have to speak about the ingredients they chose.
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General Rules
- The competition is open to every professional bartender aged 21 years or more working in a bar/restaurant/hotel in Canada.
- Competitors must supply their own bar equipment, glassware and any specific ingredients – the organizers will only supply limited basic glassware
- Cocktail must include Giffard Caribbean Pineapple. Any other Giffard liqueurs are allowed in the cocktail and the following will be available at the competition for you to use: Ginger of the Indies, Vanille de Madagascar, Pamplemousse Rose, Violette, Lichi-Lias. Should you use any other alcohol in your cocktail, it must be a Spirit of York spirit (their Vodka, Gin,Hawthorn Berry Gin, Aquavit). All of those listed Spirit of York products will be available for use at the competition. Competitors are allowed to use any spirit from another brand that Spirit of York does not make including Tequila, Rum, Bourbon, etc.
- All recipes and names are sole property of the organizers (Giffard). Competitors and drinks presented during the competition may be photographed or filmed by the organizers and copyright of these images for any use, including advertising, will be retained by the competition organizers.
- Drink names including rude, lurid, sexual words, or words associated with narcotics are prohibited.
- Name of cocktail must not be the same as any classic cocktail name.
Rules on Drinks
- Recipes must be the original creation of the competitor and if a competitor is thought to have plagiarized a known, existing cocktail they will be disqualified.
- No other competitor brands of syrups or liqueurs should be used.
- The 2 main ingredients must be expressed in ‘ML’ millimetres, the complementary ingredients must be expressed with the use of ‘dashes’ and/or ‘drops’ limited to bitters, hot pepper sauce and the like (see the list above)
- Homemade liqueurs and syrups are forbidden. Others homemade ingredients are allowed as long as the flavour is not provided by the Giffard Range.
- Ingredients may be measured using a jigger or similar measuring tool, free pour is allowed
- Each competitor has to create 3 identical drinks ( 2 for judges – 1 for photograph)
Rules on Preparation
- Drinks must be assembled in front of the judges
- Drinks may be hand stirred, shaken or blended in an electric mixer (provided by the organizers)
- The organizers will supply cubed ice and ice crusher machine (manual)
- Cocktails may be presented in any shape of glass, cup or other hygienic and safe receptacle. No brand name or logo other than the regular discrete mark of the glassware manufacturer should be visible (sponsoring brand excepted).
- Competitors must be able to prepare drinks within a maximum of 8 minutes. 5 minutes will be given before for preparation.
Rules on Garnishes
- Garnishes must be edible but may be mounted on sticks, skewers, forks or other such common bar accessories. Use of edible fruits, herbs, leaves and spices my include sprigs, peels, barks, fruit shells etc. Any flowers and petals used must be of an edible variety.
- The organizers will provide basic fruits and herbs (lemon, lime, orange, strawberry, mint, basil…). Any specific fruits/plants/herbs must be brought by individual.
- Cocktails should be garnished only on completion of the prepared drink. Placing the garnish on the glassware prior to preparing the cocktail will not be accepted.
Judging Criteria
- Winners will be the competitors with the highest score. In case of a tie between two competitors the best score for the tasting part will be taken into account and if necessary the highest score for the criterion “Taste”.
- Global score will be the sum of the score obtained for each contest. The rating scale will be divided as below for each contest (100 pts)
- Technical part (40 pts)
- Cocktail Name
- Simplicity
- Dexterity
- Hygiene / Cleanliness
- Time limit observation
- General Rules observation
- Charisma (short spoken performance: choice of ingredients, combinations, inspiration etc.)
- Overall performance
- Tasting part (60 pts)
- Appearance
- Aroma
- Balance
- Taste
- Technical part (40 pts)
Social Media
Official hashtags: #GWC2019 and/or #Giffard and/or #GiffardWestCup