08:17 PM
Emma Davis and Jay Hepburn to Cover The Grand Prix For Us
Cocktail anthusiast and blogger Emma Davis, along with "Oh Gosh!"
writer Jay Hepburn, flew over to La Habana to cover for us the Havana
Club Grand Prix. Here comes a little web interview they both quickly
gave us to introduce themselves.
By clement
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08:06 PM
Jay Hepburn
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Friday, 04 June 2010 01:42:36
Love your tie!
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07:55 PM
Jay Hepburn – “A drink can be unpleasant if not served well!”
Meet Jay Hepburn, 25, famous cocktail enthusiast in charge of Oh Gosh ! The most widely read UK cocktail blog in the world, nominated several times for awards at The Weblog Awards and the Well Fed Food Blog Awards. Jay will be one of our stringers in La Havana to cover the Grand Prix.
The Grand Prix compared to other cocktail competitions
“The big difference I see with the Havana Club Grand Prix is the wide range of countries participating, which is really great to see.” “A lot of "international" competitions seem to focus on a few areas in America and Europe, so it will be interesting to see the different influences and styles each country displays.”
What’s new with The Grand Prix, this year
“This is my first Grand Prix, however I understand this year the focus is much more on the overall experience a bartender provides, hosting included, which is very important for a bartender - a great drink can be unpleasant if not served well!”
New trends and techniques
“Molecular Mixology is always popular in cocktail competitions for bartenders trying to set themselves apart from the pack.” “Japanese-style bartending is very popular in America and Europe right now, so I expect we'll see some Japanese-influences techniques and service styles this year. ”
The Grand Prix compared to other cocktail competitions
“The big difference I see with the Havana Club Grand Prix is the wide range of countries participating, which is really great to see.” “A lot of "international" competitions seem to focus on a few areas in America and Europe, so it will be interesting to see the different influences and styles each country displays.”
What’s new with The Grand Prix, this year
“This is my first Grand Prix, however I understand this year the focus is much more on the overall experience a bartender provides, hosting included, which is very important for a bartender - a great drink can be unpleasant if not served well!”
New trends and techniques
“Molecular Mixology is always popular in cocktail competitions for bartenders trying to set themselves apart from the pack.” “Japanese-style bartending is very popular in America and Europe right now, so I expect we'll see some Japanese-influences techniques and service styles this year. ”
By Sohini
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07:43 PM
Emma Davis – "you often have to eat or inhale the cocktails!"
37 year-old cocktail anthusiast and blogger Emma Davis has worked for 18 years in the drinks industry. She now heads up brand-building company, and runs her own blog, which covers her "own favorite passtimes: travel, yoga and Cocktails!
The Grand Prix compared to other cocktail competitions
"The Havana Club Grand Prix is one of the most impressive cocktail competitions I've even had the pleasure to be a part of. The global perspective has been very well executed and is fairly unique as many other brands find it hard to work on a global level in this way. It really is a pioneering competition and I'm pretty sure there is nothing else like it in the rum world.
The blog that has been set up is a first. There are plenty of competitions but they don't communicate anything beyond the winners, there will be huge interest from the global bartending community on the twice daily updates, it will make them all feel a part of it no matter where they are."
What’s new with The Grand Prix, this year
"The updated version makes the competition 'cutting edge' and modern, the bartending community has become truly global over the last 10 years and the online communication and presence is what will help drive the Havana Club brand forward with the 'up and coming' bartenders in the industry. It is great to see so many younger bartenders who have made it to the final. As an industry we spend far too much time looking after the established people in the industry."
New trends and techniques
"I'm expecting an element of molecular mixology or alchemy this year. Molecular mixology has become more established and accessible to a wider range of bartenders. I have seen over the last two years competitions where you often have to eat or inhale the cocktails!
There is also a huge interest in bartenders making their own ingredients in terms of bitters and syrups, so I'm expecting some interesting flavours."
The Grand Prix compared to other cocktail competitions
"The Havana Club Grand Prix is one of the most impressive cocktail competitions I've even had the pleasure to be a part of. The global perspective has been very well executed and is fairly unique as many other brands find it hard to work on a global level in this way. It really is a pioneering competition and I'm pretty sure there is nothing else like it in the rum world.
The blog that has been set up is a first. There are plenty of competitions but they don't communicate anything beyond the winners, there will be huge interest from the global bartending community on the twice daily updates, it will make them all feel a part of it no matter where they are."
What’s new with The Grand Prix, this year
"The updated version makes the competition 'cutting edge' and modern, the bartending community has become truly global over the last 10 years and the online communication and presence is what will help drive the Havana Club brand forward with the 'up and coming' bartenders in the industry. It is great to see so many younger bartenders who have made it to the final. As an industry we spend far too much time looking after the established people in the industry."
New trends and techniques
"I'm expecting an element of molecular mixology or alchemy this year. Molecular mixology has become more established and accessible to a wider range of bartenders. I have seen over the last two years competitions where you often have to eat or inhale the cocktails!
There is also a huge interest in bartenders making their own ingredients in terms of bitters and syrups, so I'm expecting some interesting flavours."
By Sohini
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05:05 PM
Remembering 2008
Winner Tilo Mueller from Germany beat off the challenge from 24 other top cocktail shakers, all of whom qualified for the event by being named their country’s top bartender.
Tilo’s winning cocktail was an innovative take on the traditional Mojito, named ‘Chill’s Mojito’ - a fusion of Havana Club Añejo 3 Años, passion fruit nectar, white chocolate syrup, mint leaves and chili.
Each contestant was challenged to create a personal reinterpretation of one of three classic Cuban cocktails: the Daiquiri, the Mojito or the Presidente¹ and there was an abundance of intriguing ingredients including salsa sauce, rose liqueur, orchid liqueur and orange flower water.
Tilo’s winning cocktail was an innovative take on the traditional Mojito, named ‘Chill’s Mojito’ - a fusion of Havana Club Añejo 3 Años, passion fruit nectar, white chocolate syrup, mint leaves and chili.
Each contestant was challenged to create a personal reinterpretation of one of three classic Cuban cocktails: the Daiquiri, the Mojito or the Presidente¹ and there was an abundance of intriguing ingredients including salsa sauce, rose liqueur, orchid liqueur and orange flower water.
By clement
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11:10 AM
Survival Kit: Jamie Chesher – Australia
1 Leather doctor's bag to carry everything safely in
4 sets of tin-on-tin shakers
2 crystal handmade Japanese mixing glasses
2 handmade Japanese bar spoons
2 double-springed hawthorn strainers
2 julep strainers
Fine strainers
My lucky jigger
A good sharp knife
A sturdy muddler
A set of tongs for handling my garnishes and some vintage glassware to put my drinks in!
4 sets of tin-on-tin shakers
2 crystal handmade Japanese mixing glasses
2 handmade Japanese bar spoons
2 double-springed hawthorn strainers
2 julep strainers
Fine strainers
My lucky jigger
A good sharp knife
A sturdy muddler
A set of tongs for handling my garnishes and some vintage glassware to put my drinks in!
By clement
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10:09 AM
Survival Kit: Michael Menegos
In a competition comparable to the Grand Prix where bartenders are given limitless freedom in order to present the best they have to offer. Hosts will arrive armed with innovative and often very personal equipment (vintage shakers, old fashioned glassware, etc). I recently saw a guy using a piece of sugar as a muddler which is fantastic.
Bartenders also use tools that express their personality such as someone carrying a 1930's glass shaper. It tells a lot; there is theatre in bartending.
The bartender functions as an entertainer and must attract people's attention. This theatrical aspect should have its place here; it's just up to bartenders to justify it. In a German competition I remember this Italian bartender who inarguably won due to his attention and focus. Everything he did was perfect. He did not try to overtake us.
In short: bring tools that will enable you and your drink look better.
Bartenders also use tools that express their personality such as someone carrying a 1930's glass shaper. It tells a lot; there is theatre in bartending.
The bartender functions as an entertainer and must attract people's attention. This theatrical aspect should have its place here; it's just up to bartenders to justify it. In a German competition I remember this Italian bartender who inarguably won due to his attention and focus. Everything he did was perfect. He did not try to overtake us.
In short: bring tools that will enable you and your drink look better.
By clement
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