Tales of the Cocktail hosted the United States Bartenders’ Guild Pina Colada Competition on July 22, 2011 in New Orleans, challenging 17 of the world’s best bartenders from across the country to create an original version of a Pina Colada recipe. Sponsored by Bacardi Rums and In the Mix Magazine, the event asked participants to shake up new takes on the classic drink.
The cocktail was turned over to finalists representing their respective USBG chapters from the following locations: Austin, Chicago, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, North Texas, Northern California, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and St. Louis.
Two awards were given at the competition; Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice. The 1st Place Judges’ Choice winner was Debbi Peek from Chicago with the “No Passport Required,” and the 1st Place People’s Choice was Matt Meyers from Las Vegas with the “Thai Pina Colada.”
As the Judges’ Choice champion, Debbi Peek of Chicago received a one-of-a-kind trophy, along with a check for $1,500 and a spot at the World Cocktail Competition in Warsaw, Poland. Debbi’s cocktail was praised for technical precision and complimentary flavors. The People’s Choice winner, Matt Meyers of Chicago received the majority vote of the 550 attendees at the competition and a one-of-a-kind trophy to commemorate the win. Matt’s cocktail was applauded for unique presentation, and was perfectly paired with spicy cashews to create an ultimate flavor experience.
“The goal of the USBG Pina Colada competition at Tales of the Cocktail was to inspire today’s generation of bartenders to re-imagine this classic cocktail and take it forward into the second golden age of cocktails,” said Ann Tuennerman, founder of Tales of the Cocktail. “The winning cocktails had true balance and complexity of flavor and deserve their place in history alongside the Original Pina Colada.”
