While athletes have been training for gold in Vancouver, an international competition of a different sort has been shaping up. On Sunday, Feb. 21st, bartenders from around the world gathered at George Lounge in Yaletown for the first bartending “Mixlympics”.
Six international and four Canadian bartenders competed two at a time, creating cocktails with Martin Miller’s Gin and at least one black box ingredient. With the exception of Maker’s Mark White Dog un-aged whiskey, all of the black box ingredients were local delicacies; Venturi-Schulze aged Balsamic vinegar from Edible BC, R&B’s Canadian Iceholes Lager, Mary Bay Points oysters from the Lobster Man, and blood orange-Campari preserves from Vista D’Oro Farms. Contestants got an extra 2 minutes added to their 10 minute time limit for using the un-shucked oysters, but no one took the challenge, instead favoring the lager and preserves.
International Bartenders:
Joe Stokoe – Bar Manager for all three All Star Lanes, London, UK
Abdul Kpekawa – Bartender, All Star Lanes, London, UK
David Grieg – Bartender, All Star Lanes, London, UK
Ola Carlson – Bartender, Box 101, Stockholm, Sweden
Nicolos de Soto, Bartender, Experimental Cocktail Club & Curio Parlour, Paris, France
Charles Tan – Bartender, China Club, Paris, France
Canadian Bartenders:
Mark Brand – Owner, Boneta and The Diamond, Vancouver
David Wolwidnyk – Bar Manager, West, Vancouver
Jay Jones – Owner, Pourhouse, Vancouver
Darryl Macdonald – Bartender, Port, Toronto
Bartenders strutted out to national theme songs wearing their country’s flag and many creative cocktails were created, including style points for David Wolwidnyk’s drink floating a Campari-dust Canadian flag and edible gold.
The bronze medal went to Vancouver’s Jay Jones of Pourhouse while silver was won by Londoner David Grieg of All Star Lanes. Local Mark Brand, competing for the first time in four years, took gold with his cocktail Angela “The Grande Dame” named after Martin Miller’s 100 year old pot still. Ingeniously, he made bitters on the fly with Maker’s Mark White Dog, dried juniper berries and citrus rind. Here’s the recipe:
Angela “The Grande Dame”
1 1/2 ounces Martin Miller’s Gin
1/2 ounce cachaça
1 egg white
Juice of half a lemon
15 mls R&B Iceholes lager
Bitters: dried juniper berries, fresh cut rinds of grapefruit, orange, lemon wrapped in cheese cloth and drizzled with 10 mls of Maker’s Mark White Dog whiskey then squeezed through an elbow juicer.
2 drops homemade Szechuan peppercorn bitters
Garnish: grapefruit rind soaked in cherry brandy and maraschino liqueur cut into the shape of a gold maple leaf, served in 1988 Olympic “Aviation” Glass from Petro-Canada.
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