Five of Miami's top mixologists will compete tonight for the opportunity to shake their stuff at the annual Tales of the Cocktail in the Marie Brizard USA Cocktail Challenge Semifinals.
The competition, which is free and open to the public, takes place tonight from 6 - 8 p.m. at Blackbird Ordinary. Competitors will each make a signature cocktail, using a Marie Brizard liqueur as a key ingredient. The cocktails will be judged on technique, appearance, aroma, and taste by a panel of industry leaders including Ezra Pattek (Miami USBG), master mixologist John Lehmeyer, and myself, Laine Doss (Short Order).
The winner will go on to compete in the cocktail challenge finals at tales of the Cocktail 2012 in New Orleans. Tales of the Cocktail is an annual five-day cocktail festival that attracts the world's best mixologists and spirits enthusiasts for a non-stop schedule of seminars, tastings, and competitions.
Tonight's competitors include Robert Montero (Sra. Martinez), Fraser
Hamilton (Blackbird Ordinary), Mary Connoly (Meat Market & Bar Lab),
Phillip Khanderhrish (The Setai), and Nick Nisico (Soho Beach House). Each
mixologist has shared their signature cocktail recipes with Short Order - in case you
want to make some award winning drinks at home:
Mary Connolly (Meat Market & Bar Lab)
1 oz bourbon
3/4 oz Marie Brizard blackberry liqueur
1/4 oz Campari
3/4 lemon
Fresh muddled blackberries
Shake with rosemary and serve over ice.
Philip Khandehrish
(The Setai)
Tom & Marie
1 1/2 oz Tomintoul
10 year Speyside Scotch
.
3/4 oz Marie Brizard chocolat royal
1/2 oz simple syrup
6 raspberries
Guatemalan cacao bean
Egg white
Add raspberries, syrup and shavings from Cacao Bean into Boston glass.
Muddle till raspberries are mashed with shavings.
Add
rest of ingredients and shake hard.
Double strain into egg coupe glass.
Garnish with skewered chocolate (mixture of melted milk chocolate, cream and shaved Guatemalan Cacao Bean) covered raspberries.
Nick Nisico
(Soho Beach House)
The Velvet Marie
1 oz Marie Brizard white coco
1 oz Anejo tequila
1/2 oz Lillet Blond
Stir and Strain into a chilled coupe that has been rinsed with
1/4 oz Marie Brizard anisette.
Garnish with an orange twist and a small piece of dark chocolate.
Robert Montero
(Sra. Martinez)
Sunny Crusta
1 1/2 oz tequila Ocho Blanco
1/2 oz Marie Brizard orange Curacao
3/4 oz Marie Brizard cherry brandy
3/4 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz lime juice
1/4 oz agave syrup
Shake with ice and strain into ice-filled rocks glass.
Garnish with fresh, large basil leaf.
Fraser Hamilton
(Blackbird Ordinary)
Thanks for Kuming
3/4 oz Marie Brizard creme de cassis
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz rosemary infused syrup
2 oz London dry gin
4 kumquats
Muddle kumquats, add all but the cassis.
Shake and strain into a 'sling' glass.
Top with crushed ice and lace cassis .
Garnish with a split kumquat and a sprig of rosemary.
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