BARDSTOWN, KY – Heaven Hill Brands and Liquor.com announced today the 64 regional semifinalists competing for the 2017 Bartender of the Year competition. Semifinalists will compete in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, Dallas, Nashville, Denver, Chicago and New York beginning January 2017.
Over 844 original cocktail recipes using Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur, Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, and Rittenhouse Rye Whisky were submitted online nationwide beginning August 1, 2016. Preliminary entries required two original cocktail recipes, one classic and one innovative, along with a short description of what hospitality means to the contestant.
“The inaugural Heaven Hill Bartender of the Year competition showcased those on the forefront of ingenuity and creativity in the hospitality realm – the bartenders who craft our diverse products in inspiring and new ways,” said Kate S. Latts, Vice President, Marketing for Heaven Hill Brands. “As we forge onward in the second annual competition this year, our portfolio of spirits filled with pioneer brands will continue to raise the bar for talent in the industry. Our 2017 Bartender of the Year regional contestants have shown their aptitude for both classic and innovative cocktails, and we look forward to learning the depth of their skills and passion throughout the next few months.”
National Brand Educator for Heaven Hill Brands Lynn House, Bar Manager of Clyde Common & Pépé Le Moko Jeffrey Morgenthaler, and Owner/Bartender of Pouring Ribbons Joaquín Simó evaluated the online submissions and chose eight semifinalists for each region based on highest scores. Cocktail submissions were scored on name, appearance and presentation, inspiration, balance of flavors, aroma and character, creativity, and product knowledge.
Regional semifinalists, listed below, will be challenged on their full range of skills as hospitality professionals. Judges will be looking for the ultimate bartender who displays the total breadth and aptitude all bartenders aspire to embody. The top contestant from each region will vie for the title of Bartender of the Year and $15,000 at the St. Regis Bahia Resort in Puerto Rico in June 2017.
Grounded in the original Bartender of the Year Competition hosted by Domaine de Canton starting in 2009, Heaven Hill Brands resurrected the competition due to strong demand from bartenders worldwide. Abigail Gullo of Compere Lapin in New Orleans set the bar as the champion of the inaugural Bartender of the Year in 2016. Visit the official competition website at bartenderoftheyear.liquor.com for complete competition details.
About Heaven Hill Brands
Founded in 1935, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Brands (www.heavenhill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes Evan Williams Bourbon; Larceny, Elijah Craig and Henry McKenna Bourbons; Deep Eddy Vodka; Burnett’s Vodkas and Gin; Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart Rums; Hpnotiq Liqueur; The Christian Brothers Brandies; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur; Lunazul Tequila; Cinerator Hot Cinnamon Flavored Whiskey and Rittenhouse Rye Whisky.
