The Glenrothes cocktail contest

Mix it, swirl it, zest it up – 17 of Scotland’s elite bartenders showcased their cocktail culinary skills earlier this month as part of The Glenrothes Ultimate Cocktail Contest; the first national competition of its kind held at the award-winning Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh.

Using The Glenrothes Select Reserve as the base spirit the bartenders from well known drinking haunts including Bramble Bar, Tigerlily and Blythswood Hotel were tasked with creating a top class, top notch tipple.

Contestants were given only three minutes to create a cocktail which contains at least 30ml of The Glenrothes and a maximum of six other ingredients. They were marked on name, balance of flavour, simplicity of ingredients, taste, originality, creative presentation, delivery and performance.

Don’t Marry her and Fantastic Mr Fudge were just two of the more usual concoctions mixed by the contestants with the winning pour, The Last Gentleman Standing, coming from the established bartender, May Kongsrivilai at Bon Vivant on Thistle Street in Edinburgh.

A mix of The Glenrothes Select Reserve, Green Chartreuse, 2001 Noval Tawny Port and Kirsch Vassser guaranteed the top prize that includes an all expenses paid VIP trip to The Glenrothes Distillery in Speyside, Mixxit Ultimate Bartenders Kit and a bottle of The Glenrothes Vintage 1985.

With flat caps, finest tweed and all things refined, cocktails from second and third place came from Treacle’s Adam Neal and Blythswood Hotel’s Dean Evans, both of whom won trips to The Glenrothes Distillery in Speyside and a bottle of The Glenrothes Select Reserve each.

Hosted by The Glenrothes’ own mixologist Andy Gemmell, the competition was judged by Simon Difford; Tom Bruce Gardyne; Gaby Soutar; and Ronnie Cox, global brand ambassador for The Glenrothes.

Winner May Kongsrivilai said: “I love classic cocktails and mixing up new variations on old themes.  I was able to use my interest of the classic serves and my love of whisky to good effect creating something quite unique that I hope customers to Bon Vivant will make a special request for.  I look forward to mixing it up again with The Glenrothes.”

1 December 2009 - Felicity Murray