28/07/2014

Danny Whelan, a rising star of Glasgow bartending, working at the Kelvingrove Café is the winner of the “Sprint to the Finish" cocktail competition a. In a closely contested competition Danny's cocktail “Comerette Cooler" attracted the most 'Likes' on the Chairman's Reserve Rum Facebook page possibly because his recipe was very well conceived, given the unusually hot and dry weather over the last few days. A delicious long drink made with Chairman's Reserve Spiced Rum, served long with a side of ice cream, “Comerette Cooler",  attracted plenty of attention from the start and managed to hold onto the lead throughout the week. 

Winning Cocktail: 
'Comerette Cooler' by  Danny Whelanat Kelvingrove Café  (Glasgow) - Named after the white-sand St Lucia beach 'Anse Comerette'
45ml Chairman's Reserve Spiced
25ml Orange Sherbet
20ml Coconut Syrup
dash Chocolate Bitters
Topped with a float of Root Beer

• Add all ingredients except Root Beer to a mixing tin, shake and pour into a hi-ball glass over cracked ice.

•  Float root beer over the top. 

• Garnish with an Orange Twist, with Vanilla ice cream and Coconut Chocolate on the side. 

Runners up in the 'Sprint to the Finish' competition were Mike McGinty (Treacle, Edinburgh) and Matt Ronald (Blue Dog, Glasgow) crossing the line in what was almost a photo finish taking Silver and Bronze respectively.  
20ml Homemade Falernum
5 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
2 Dash Chocolate Bitters

• All put into a metal cup, with a lime cut into a square, covered in Demerara sugar, coffee, chocolate and cinnamon. 

• A light of fire caramelises the lime and it drips into the drink. 

• Then extinguish the flame with 60ml water. 

 Bronze medal winner, Matt Ronald, another Glasgow bartender has been the manager at Blue Dog for a number of years and a fan of Chairman's Reserve ever since he visited the distillery in St Lucia on a trip organised by Emporia Brands a few years ago.  Also electing to make a drink based on Chairman's Spiced, his cocktail was about balancing the different sweet, sour and spicy elements to make a refreshing summer serve.
 
'Bolt from the Blue' by Matt Ronald at Blue Dog (Glasgow)
25ml chairmans spiced
12.5ml domine de cantone
12.5ml GB blueberry 
Fresh blueberries
25ml Lemon juice 
Lemon syrup 
37.5 ml ape juice
www.bluedogglasgow.co.uk 

 Ten contestants made it to the Chairman's Reserve 'Sprint to the Finish' finals, all of whom are established UK bartenders or are rising stars in Scotland.  The final finishing order was as follows; -
-          Danny Whelan - Kelvingrove Café  (Glasgow)             GOLD
-          Mike McGinty - Treacle (Edinburgh)                                SILVER
-          Matthew Ronald - Blue Dog (Glasgow)                          BRONZE                
-          Lewis Thomson - Clouds & Soil (Edinburgh)
-          Alex Muir - Amicus Apple (Aberdeen)
-          Rosie Paterson - The Voodoo Rooms (Edinburgh)
-          Panda & Sons - Phil Jones (Edinburgh)
-          Jon Hughes - Bramble Bar (Edinburgh)
-          James Grant - Bond 9 (Edinburgh)
-          Adrian Gomes - The Tippling House (Aberdeen)
 

• Background to the Competition: St Lucia Distillers, the leading distillery on the Island of St Lucia, a Commonwealth Country, organised a cocktail competition with a difference in Scotland to coincide with the Commonwealth Games.  In conjunction with their UK distributors, Emporia Brands Ltd, a number of leading bartenders from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen were invited to compete for a chance to go to the 100m finals session at Hampden Park on Monday 28th July.  
• The bartenders were asked to create an original Chairman's Reserve cocktail, using any of the four expressions available, which have all been posted on the Chairman's Reserve UK Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chairmans-Reserve-UK/228828170498199?fref=photo.
• The challenge for the bartenders was to market their cocktail drinks through their bars and social networks for a week & 'Sprint to the Finish'.  The cocktail creation that attracted the largest number of likes by midnight on Thursday 24th July, would be declared the winner and will be accompanied to the Blue Ribbon event (men's 100m finals) by the Chairman of Emporia Brands, James Rackham to enjoy prime seats for the event in a corporate box at Hampden Park.

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