Pink Your Drink (PYD) is not only a charity that supports the Pink Ribbon and female entrepreneurs, it’s also an all-female bartender competition with global ambitions. PYD was created in 2011 by Rhuby Liqueur’s founder and owner, Ylva Binder, who is now taking the competition now in its third year, to the US – after huge success in both the UK and Swedish markets.
The first PYD competition kicked off during London Cocktail Week at Raymond Blanc’s London Cocktail Club, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2012. Judges included Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero – founders of Speed-Rack. The 2013 event was held in Stockholm. This year’s event will be hosted in USA, Sweden and the UK simultaneously. And judges will include Gary Regan, Simon Ford, Ivy Mix, Jolene Cadwell to mention but a few.
The PYD competition particularly highlights female talent behind the bar. And this year, PYD will be touring the USA, to not only create awareness around the event, but also introduce the Rhuby brand to the US market. As such, high profile female guardians, who have made a huge impact in the drinks industry have been selected to support this year’s event.
Confirmed guardians for PYD 2014 include:
Ann Tuennerman – Founder of Tales Of The Cocktail (USA)
Kayleigh Kulp – Author and blogger of boozeforbabes.com (USA)
Jaclyn Foley – Founder and publisher of Bartender Magazine (USA)
Christine Deussen – Founder Deussen PR (spirits PR Global)
Sandrae Lawrence – Founder of Cocktail Lovers (UK)
Lynnette Marrero – Head of LUPEC and founder Speed-Rack (USA)
In conjunction with the competition (always held in October for Breast Cancer Awareness), the PYD team has evolved the PINK THE BAR and PINK THE MENU concept where more venues can partake and create specific menus to drive awareness and raise funding throughout the month of October. Partaking venues choose a price for the ‘pinked concoctions’, which is up-charged vs. standard cocktails, so margins can be donated to a chosen Breast Cancer Charity by the venue.
Rhuby, of course, maintains a close relationship with the finalists after the competition. Past finalists have not only become judges in future competitions, but also get the opportunity to become brand ambassadors for Rhuby. The winner of each competition also wins a trip to Rhuby’s homeland – Sweden – to see how the liqueur is made.
“My long term goal is to grow PYD into a global female support group to inspire, mentor and even provide financial ‘angels’ for business start-ups, pro-bono work, etc for other wannabe female entrepreneurs,” says Ylva Binder. “Rhuby was one of the first to drive the female only platform forward and we are proud to continue growing it.”
We look forward to hearing from bartenders and owners of venues interested in participating in the competition.
For further information on the Pink Your Drink 2014 competition, send an email to [email protected]
In NY The Dead Rabbit will host our PYD final. It takes place 12th October and for those wanting to stand in front of one of the most acclaimed judging panel, be a finalist in the bar at Dead Rabbit in support of female entrepreneurship and the Pink Ribbon – please make your submission on www.rhuby.se and go in through PINK YOUR DRINK USA.
