Whether you’re hanging in or dining out, cocktails are always a fun idea. Liquid Architecture founder Kim Haasarud shows us how easy it is to make cocktails at home, using fresh produce from places like Marina Farms, Los Angeles.
At the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, Leblon Cachaça held a USBG Caipirinha Competition. The United States Bartenders Guild had 18 bartenders from 9 cities represent their chapter to compete for the top prize and a golden muddler to bring back to the winning city.
This years competition was hosted by The Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim, and was judged by Naren Young (New York Cities BoBo Restaurant), Junior Merino (The Liquid Chef), and Francine Cohen (Editor of Food and Beverage Journal, media partner for the National USBG Caipirinha competition). Winners this year were Peoples Choice: Tad Carducci (The Tippling Brothers) and Judges Choice: USBG Las Vegas Chapter which was composed of Tobin Ellis and Andrew Pollard.
This past week, we hosted the First Annual Muddle.Shake.Pour Competition in South Florida. 11 of Miami’s top bartenders competed from their respective bars/restaurants. Its was no easy task choosing our favorites, but we had some great judges including: Sarah Ehrlich (our very own from Miami), Jay Law (Master Mixologist from The One Group), Robert Burr (The Gifted Rums Guide) and David Ortiz (Cassi D’s Marketing) to narrow down the field. One bartender flambéd pears with Leblon (nice work Elad), others lit hot peppers on fire (great cocktail Tom), while others used CO2 to infuse flavors into a cocktail (cool stuff Richie). This years winner was Julio Cabrera from Senora Martinez. Congrats Julio!!! Special thank you to: Sarina from Frankie’s Hideaway, George from Fontainebleau, Tom from Sunset Lounge @ The Mondrian, Adam from Florida Room, Richie at Shore Club, Julio from Sra Martinez, Arthur at Town Kitchen, Jose from Apple Kore, Elad from Gansevoort South, and Matthew at Senora Martinez.
Stay tuned for the Northern Florida Muddle. Shake. Pour and then the two winners will battle it out for Florida’s top bartender!
In a few short weeks the Tales of the Cocktail USBG Leblon Caipirinha Competition is heading to New Orleans. Bartenders from around the country will be competing for the Golden Muddler and this past Sunday, Francine Cohen from Food & Beverage Magazine was nice enough to allow us into her home as Tad Carducci (defending USBG cocktail champion) hosted a cocktail party as a ‘warm up’ for New York’s USBG members and top bartenders in the area. Jason Littrell of The Randolph at Broome made some fantastic cocktails and Derek Brown and Chantal Tseng from Washington DC stopped by to show some support as well as Junior Merino, Cedric Hosy, Elba Giron (last years winner’s partner) and James Menite from NYC. Even Pablo Moix, the USBG member, representing the SoCal market in the competition dropped by to stir up some trouble.
The night before the Las Vegas Nightclub and Bar Show kicked off Tony Abou-Ganim hosted National USBG members from around the United States to an artisanal cachaça and caipirinha tasting. Tony prepared fresh fruit caipirinhas and guests enjoyed a traditional churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse) experience at Texas de Brazil. Gerard Schweitzer presented to the USBG members a tasting of the top artisanal cachaças on the market today.
The 26th Marie Brizard International Cocktail Challenge Final and International Bartender Seminar took place in Bordeaux, France early last December. After holding qualifying series around the world over the past year, 36 competitors, representing 30 nations were invited to Bordeaux for the finals.
The most awarded Brazilian bartender, Rogerio Rabbit, who finished 3rd last year at this same competition, came to the 2008 edition with a Leblon recipe. Rabbit has created the cocktail menus for great bars in São Paulo, such as Café Journal and Banana Café.
Rabbit went through the first round, finishing first of his group, with a Leblon cocktail.
The Brazilian Soul of Marie
4cl Leblon Cachaça
2cl Marie Brizard Anisette
1cl Marie Brizard limoncini
8 Pieces fresh white grapes
5 Fresh basil leaves
On the 2nd and last day of the challenge, the final 8 competitors went to Chateau du Taillan, outside Bordeaux. The 2nd round worked on a “mystery ingredient box” basis, where competitors had to demonstrate creativity and flexibility on a short length of time. The goal was to create one cocktail in no more than 7 minutes with the ingredients from the box. Rabbit won against Maxime Hoerth, from the George V Hotel in Paris, Maxime who also choose Leblon as main ingredient on his original recipe on the 1st round.
On the 3rd round and Ultimate Final, the last 4 bartenders had a larger “mystery box” and this time the goal was to create 3 different cocktails within 10 minutes with a previous 5 minute set up.
The final result of last years competition was:
Gold Award: José Abarullo, Venezuela
Silver Award, Rogerio Rabbit, Brazil
Bronze Award, Jan Schaefer, Germany
4th place: Kolodziej Bartlomiej, Poland
We recently hosted the Mixoloseum’s Thursday Night Drink Night. Check out some of the great recipes the participants came up with. The attached photo comes from Gabriel Szaszko and Matt Robold who created the Sao Paulo Iced Tea during the course of the evening.
Cocktail Highlights:
Sao Paulo Iced Tea
2 oz Leblon Cachaca
1 oz Absolut Peach Vodka
1 oz Gin
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a tall glass with ice and top with soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
*Drink photo courtesy of RumDood.com
Cherry Crush
2oz Leblon cachaça
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz vanilla syrup
1 dash grapefruit bitters
1 dash grenadine
Shake all but grenadine with ice and strain into a crushed-ice laden rocks glass. Drizzle on the grenadine.
MADE BY: Tiare from A Mountain of Crushed Ice
The Shaven Yak’s Belly
2 oz leblon cachaça
1 oz maraschino liqueur
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Swizzle with lots of crushed ice and add a yak comb for garnish.
MADE BY Blair from Trader Tiki
Ginger and Green
2 oz Leblon cachaça
1 oz of your favorite white rum
.5 oz Chartreuse
2 dashes absinthe
ginger beer, to top
Build over ice in a festive glass.
MADE BY Rick from Kaiser Penguin
The Red Baron
1 1/2oz Leblon cachaça
1 1/4oz Plymouth sloe gin
3/4oz egg white
3/4oz lemon juice
2t Campari
1/4 oz simple syrup
dashes grapefruit bitters
Shake with a plethora of crushed ice for at least 30 seconds.
MADE BY Jay from Oh Gosh!
LEBLON® Cachaça (Brazilian Rum) Product of Brazil. Imported by Leblon USA, Manhasset, NY. Alcohol 40% by volume.
Copyright © 2006-2007 Leblon. All Rights Reserved. Please Muddle Responsibly.
LEBLON is an ultra-premium cachaça (ka-SHAH-sa) produced in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The rum-like spirit, the most award-winning cachaça on the market, is made from fresh-pressed Brazilian sugar cane that is then rested in cognac casks and blended to create superior complexity and taste. Cachaça is the main ingredient in the Caipirinha (kai-pur-EEN-ya), the national cocktail of Brazil. LEBLON is the leading luxury Cachaça in high-end establishments and a 2007 Double Gold Award Winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Best in Class at the Rum Experience International Tasting Competition - London.
