Last Word Competition

Chartreuse have launched a competition in the UK to find the best twist on the classic cocktail – The Last Word.

For every great classic cocktail in the world there are dozens of twists on it floating around from the sublime Tommy’s Margarita to the not so sublime Frozen Banana Daiquiri. For Chartreuse the iconic cocktail is The Last Word (find out all about The Last Word in an article by Chartreuse Ambassador Matt Dakers here) and they are tasking UK bartenders with finding the next great twist.

There are some big shoes to fill with the most famous twist being The Last Ward by the one and only Phil Ward from New York (he swaps the gin and lime juice for rye and lemon juice). However such and iconic drink with such a rich history is perfect for you to have a play with.

The first round was concentrated in Islington with Zilouf’s, Stuart Binks taking the honours with his ‘monsieur, I beg your pardon’ – watch a video of him making it here.

The Aberdeen leg of the competition takes place over the month of February in your own bars.  To enter:

- Decide within your bar which bartender's original and unique recipe the team will get behind and push over the month.
- By any means neccesary, promote this cocktail to your guests during the month of February - Facebook, Twitter and point-of-sale are just some of the channels (this is NOT a sales/volume-based competition).
- Points will be awarded for the following: drink recipe and mystery shopper.  The point system is not disclosed.
- Drinks may be added to the cocktail menu for The Green Lounge at Orchid on Thursday 23rd February (doors 8pm).
- Any questions, email gomes@10dollarshake.com.
- Results will be announced at the end of February 2012.  All bars are welcome to enter.

The competition will be growing in the coming months with some fantastic prizes up for grabs (and a feature in Bar Life UK).  If you think you can have the last word send your recipes (and good quality photo) to gomes@10dollarshake.com by Friday 27th January.

Good luck!

Tales of the Cocktail

'Tales of the Cocktail' has established itself as an internationally-renowned cocktail festival in New Orleans.  Running for it's 8th year, the festival begins today (until the 24th July) with a series of seminars, special events, luncheons/dinners, excursions and competitions.  A host of well-known brands run complimentary events such as the Absolut Bloody Mary Bar, the Leblon cachaca Caipi-Mobile and a 'Tales After Dark' pop-up jazz bar with Benedictine.

The Corpse & Cocktail team are unfortunately missing out this year, but 2012 is a certainty.  Our good friend Matthew Dakers will hopefully be dropping us a report on his two days in the city...but knowing his passion for over-celebrating, I wouldn't count on it.

Angels Draft - The Bacardi Legacy.

Congratulations to my good friend Matthew Dakers of Mahiki, London who only last week won the Bacardi Legacy UK Final held at the Freemasons Hall, the headquarters of the United Grand Lodge of England and the principal meeting place for Masonic Lodges in London.  Grand Lodge has been in Great Queen Street since 1775, the present Hall being the third building on the site.  The building is a magnificent example of art deco and was a fitting setting for a historic brand such as Bacardi.

Matthew’s drink, Angels’ Draft, was one of 3 drinks that won in 2010, picked from 7 regional winners, with the winning bartenders subsequently being given 1 year to promote their drink and make it into a new classic.  Matthew’s work revolved heavily around cocktail menu listings in great bars in cities such as Barcelona and London.  Scotland was represented by The Courtyard restaurant in Aberdeen and No. 40 cocktail bar in St Andrews.

Here is Matthew’s inspiration for his drink:

I am fascinated by the idea of the 'angels' share', that element of a spirit which evaporates during maturation and is lost from the barrel to who knows where.  When rum is matured in the heat of the Caribbean, as BACARDI Superior rum is, the rate of evaporation is around three to four times higher than in a cold climate like Scotland, so the Bacardi angels must be that much happier.

Ernest Hemingway used to enjoy drinking rum to inspire his writing. I love the idea that he might have appreciated my cocktail as a refreshing draft (inspired by his favourite rum cocktails, Daiquiri No.3 and the Mojito) as much as the rum angels swooping and whirling above his head.  Perhaps it would have moved him to wonderful flights of fanciful prose, hence Angels’ Draft.

Angels’ Draft

40ml BACARDI Superior rum

10ml Yellow Chartreuse

20ml lime juice

10ml honey

10ml egg white

1 dash grapefruit bitters

2-3 mint leaves

Method: Shake all ingredients with cubed ice and fine-strain into a chilled coupette glass, garnish with a grapefruit zest sprayed around the glass and then discard, add a mint leaf to finish.

Editor Note: My opinion on this is that it is a very more-ish drink with a great mouth feel and less sharp than the likes of the Daiquiri.  This is a very accessible cocktail for those who have perhaps avoided the allure of rum in the past.  5/5