Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) is pleased to launch its Tales of the Cocktail® 2019 Official Cocktail Competition.
New this year, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation opened the official cocktail selection to an open-to-the public voting process that doubled as a fundraiser. For a monetary donation to the Foundation per vote, members of global hospitality and spirits community were able to cast their vote on one of five cocktail options: the Spritz, Mai Tai, Swizzle, Negroni, or Highball. Through this process, the Highball was awarded the Official Cocktail of the 2019 competition by popular vote. Highballs are one of the largest current cocktail trends and fits perfectly with Tales of the Cocktail 2019 and the theme: Cultivate.
“The Foundation is thrilled to highlight the versatile Highball this year,” said Neal Bodenheimer, Co-Chair of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Board of Directors. “The Highball lends itself to so many different interpretations and we look forward to seeing the bartenders’ creativity come through in their submissions.”
The winning bartender will receive a $1,000 cash prize and be honored at Tales of the Cocktail 2019 for reinventing a classic. The winning cocktail will be named the ‘Official Cocktail’ of Tales of the Cocktail 2019 and will be honored at the Toast to Tales of
the Cocktail Tuesday, July 16.
The rules for the 2019 competition are few but the creative possibilities are endless. To start all recipes must include a base spirit, a carbonated mixer and a garnish. The submitted cocktail also must be served in a Highball glass and include at least two ingredients from the participating products list. The base spirit for the submission must also come from the participating products list. Q Mixers, the Foundation’s mixer of choice, is also a sponsor and participating product for the Official Cocktail Competition. A
full list of participating products:
Mixers:
Q Mixers
Base Spirits:
Haku
Jim Beam Black
Laird’s Straight Applejack 86
Roku
Saint Luna: Charcoal Filtered Moonshine
Sazerac Rye Whiskey
Suze
The Glenlivet
Toki
Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey
Modifiers:
Q Mixers
El Guapo
Founding Spirits Arroyo’s “Never Bitter” Amaro
King Floyd
Mr Black Cold Brew Liqueur
Perfect Puree of Napa Valley
Suze
Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey
GT’s Kombucha
The submissions will be judged by some of the top names and leaders in the spirits and
hospitality industry.
Tony Abou-Ganim, The Modern Mixologist, Las Vegas, NV
Daniel Victory, Owner, Victory, New Orleans, LA
Lisa Nguyen, General Manager, Elysian Bar, New Orleans, LA
Ryan Gannon, Bar Manager, Cure, New Orleans, LA
Masahiro Urushido, Head Bartender/Managing Partner, Katana Kitten, NYC
Mia Johansson, Owner, Swift, London, UK
Paige Aubort, Founder and Director, Coleman’s Academy, Sydney, Australia
Deadline for submissions is June 3. The winner of the competition and top three runner-ups will be announced on June 14 on Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s official site.
