Patterson (pictured blelow, right) began bartending about four years ago in San Francisco, and after winning a local cocktail contest where she won a year’s membership o the United States Bartender’s Guild (USBG), began along a path to a successful career as a bartender/mixologist. After visiting the Cherry Heering tasting room at last year’s Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, Patterson learned about Accessorize 2009.
“Heering Accessorize 2009 searched for the top mixologists who could create a unique cocktail recipe inspired by a cocktail dress designed by Swedish top designer Lars Wallin for Heering Accessorize 2009 and for designers who can create a cocktail dress inspired by one of six Cherry Heering cocktails, created by Scandinavian world class mixologist Richard Broni,” says Abbey Glaser, director of marketing for Kindred Spirits, U.S. importers of Cherry Heering. “Mixologist entrants were able to select a specially designed glassware piece from The House of Orrefors to accompany to their Cherry Heering inspired cocktail recipe.”
The process of selecting and narrowing down the Cherry Heering inspired libations was conducted via an overall US jury consisting of top (non-competing) US Mixologists, Brand personnel and top tier industry and consumer media. Patterson ultimately chose the ‘Romantic’ cocktail dress because “I’m in a new relationship and feeling kind of romantic. So I wanted to do something that was visually representative of that.” Her “Star-Crossed Lovers” (pictured below, left) includes whiskey, organic orgeat syrup and is topped with egg white foam for what final judge Tony Abou Ganim described as “simple and classic – it was the one drink that left me wanting a second.”
This year was the first that saw the Heering Accessorize competition open to online cocktail recipe submissions, and thus yield tremendous response. “The competition yielded a 
high caliber of creative Cherry Heering concoctions which in turn provided a high level of competition,” says Glaser. “Jacqueline’s ‘Star-Crossed Lovers’ brought out the best in Cherry Heering – whiskey’s and premium brown spirits are ideal ingredients when creating cocktails with it. The selection of Irish Whiskey, along with her adherence to the guidelines and spirit of the competition connecting her cocktail to the dress through description of texture, put her over the top.”
Patterson asserts that cocktail recipes come to her in odd ways, and that she is especially inspired by life and cultural events that she experiences everyday. Taking a cue from her newfound love, she was really looking to create a Cherry Heering-based cocktail that was not so over the top with ingredients, but instead simple, accessible and still very tasty.
“I went with Red Breast Irish whiskey – it has a natural freeness but still a little oomph behind it. I love cherry and almond together which is why I chose the orgeat syrup. I was able to work with organic orgeat syrup made by a friend of mind which is a beautiful product and went well with the recipes,” explains Patterson. “I used a little lemon juice for acidity to balance the sweetness, and the egg white foam made it a richer pallet. I called it ‘Star-Crossed Lovers’ after Romeo and Juliet and drew two little hearts on top with Angostura bitters, and used cinnamon to dust a little star dust galaxy between them.”
Without ever having met Patterson, Abou Ganim (pictured below, right) was thrilled when he blind-tasted ‘Star-Crossed Lovers.’ Even though Cherry Heering is considered to more of a modifier than a base spirit, his judging was based on the cocktail that was both perfectly balanced and showcased well the namesake liqueur.
“The choice of whiskey I though at first was interesting but it was a perfect harmony and marriage of the ingredients,” says the Modern Mixologist. “The simplicity and elegance of the drink – the drink was not so convoluted or something that could be made simply. And I’ve always thought that the best cocktails are the simplest.”
Along with a great cocktail recipe, Abou Ganim was responsible for choosing an entrant that fit well with the dress by which it was inspired. Keeping this in mind, part of his decision in choosing Patterson’s ‘Star-Crossed Lovers’ was that he felt it really subscribed to the entire package.
“Ultimately, it was about flavor of the drink. But drinks like food, should appeal to all of the senses. I really could picture someone wearing that dress and drinking that cocktail in that glass,” he says. “The glass was elegant, sexy and functional. The look, the feel, the aroma with a little bit of bitters on top, creaminess and texture of the egg whites – when you put it all together, it was above and beyond everyone else.”
Although Patterson did not go on to win the final cocktail recipe competition in Singapore – that honor went to Eiji Miyazawa of Japan – neither Glaser nor Abou Ganim are worried that she has a worthwhile career ahead of her.
“I could see her making that drink anywhere in the world and being a great representation of what we’re doing in the United States,” says Abou Ganim. “She is going to go on to do amazing things. This is the first time in my 29 years in the business where I’ve witness someone who has taken the craft and the profession and approached it as a career and not just as a part-time job.”
As for Patterson, she has a couple of cocktail competitions in her near future, as well as an appearance in a friend’s book that will focus on the cocktail culture of the West Coast, and in September she plans to complete a B.A.R. program in New York.
If you are interested in meeting Jacqueline in person, she’ll be present at the Cherry Heering tasting rooms at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.
Click here for more information on Cherry Heering
Or contact James Monahan, at [email protected]
Click here for more information on Tales of the Cocktail
Click here for more information on Kindred Spirits
Or contact Abbey Glaser at [email protected]
