CASK have only recently appeared on the scene but the experience already at the company alongside a stunning portfolio (including Merlet, Elements Eight and Ocho to name but three of their brands) means they are one to watch in the coming years.
Some people have commented that it's odd that, as a brand-owner myself, I'm still competing in bartending competitions but I still regard myself as a bartender and I'm currently researching and putting together details for a bitters competition of my own, stay tuned for details.
I couldn't make it to day one of the event which incorporated a master-class and cocktail training with the likes of Tony Conigliaro (Kigo), Luc Merlet (Merlet), Tom Estes (Ocho) and Carl Stephenson (Elements Eight) in attendance but having earlier qualified for the Scottish final after submitting a drink online I headed down to Edinburgh for the second day's cocktail comp. At stake was a trip to Cognac to compete in the UK final...
The rules were pretty straight forward, we had to prepare four drinks (as detailed below) in ten minutes, two of which also had to include Merlet fruit liqueur. The judges for the day were Nushi Wijewardena (Imbibe UK), Luc Merlet (Merlet), Scott Gemmell (LA Group) and Stuart Ekins (CASK).
My drinks were as follows;
1. Arrive with a ready-made infusion of Ocho Blanco or Reposado to use to create a unique drink with a unique serve
Eight in the Morning
50ml Apricot seed infused Ocho Reposado
10ml Merlet Creme de Peche
25ml Fresh lemon juice
12.5ml Gum syrup
15 Drops Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Method: Add lemon juice, egg white and gum syrup in that order then add remaining ingredients, shake without ice for five seconds then fill with cubed ice and shake hard for a further ten seconds
Glass: Chilled coupette
Garnish: N/A
Ice: N/A
Inspiration: As I produce bitters this round was one I really enjoyed given that we had to infuse a spirit. I wanted to stay away from the usual suspects (vanilla, chilli, lemongrass, etc.) and with my knowledge of botanicals opted for something a little different, in this instance apricot seeds. Prior to adding them to the tequila I lightly toasted them in a dry frying pan before crushing to a powder in a blender. I then added 10g of this toasted apricot seed powder to every 100ml of Ocho Reposado, macerating for eight hours at room temperature. The apricot seeds offered a depth of flavour including almond, apricot and marzipan, with a complex perfumed aroma that worked fantastically well with the earthy, spicy and citrus notes in the Reposado. Tom Estes couldn't get enough of this which is always a good sign...
Given the spirit I now had as the base I wanted to compliment and enhance the flavour profile with the ingredients I chose; Merlet Peche which is juicy, sweet and subtly spicy, fresh lemon juice for the citric backbone, Bittermens Xocolatl Mole which pulled together the deep spicy notes and also added warmth, then finally fresh egg white and gum syrup for added texture. The aroma was so rich that no garnish was required and the colour, reminiscent of peach, was so striking that the cocktail stood up on its own.
As for the name, well that came from the time I finally decided on the recipe, although it may also relate to the tequila I'll imbibe when I wake first thing.
2. Create a rum cocktail with Elements 8 that captures the spirit of St Lucia as well as your own home town, explaining the reason behind the drink
Guyana Toddy
50ml Elements Eight Platinum
12.5ml Merlet Triple Sec
50ml Fresh coconut water
12.5ml Gum syrup
Method: Build over ice and stir
Glass: Highball
Garnish: Fresh grated nutmeg and mint sprig
Ice: Cubed
Inspiration: Trying to find a common link between St. Lucia and my hometown of Aberdeen was very difficult at first but I quickly found something to build on; Elements Eight uses sugar cane from Guyana and Aberdeen (as a port-town) has a long history connected to rum, namely demarara rums. The region of Demarara was found in what is now known as Guyana so that gave me my first link.
Secondly, I've been researching the Toddy (spirit, water and sugar) these last few months and found some really interesting tidbits relating to toddy-drinking in Aberdeen in the 1700s, rum & coconut water is a truly exceptional drink that I imagine is regularly consumed in St. Lucia thus giving you a Toddy of sorts, though replacing water with coconut water. The Toddy can also be served hot (Scottish climate) or cold (St. Lucian climate) so again the link stood up for me.
With regards the other ingredients in the drink, the Merlet Sec offers citrus notes to compliment the rum and coconut water, the gum syrup an incredible mouthfeel lifting the creamy texture found in coconut water, the nutmeg a wood spice that brings out the toasted-oak from the rum, and the mint a fresh aroma which was a perfect way to finish off this cocktail.
3. Create your own interpretation of the Sidecar using Merlet Cognac and Merlet Triple Sec
Santina
40ml Merlet Cognac
10ml Merlet Triple Sec
3 Dashes Boker's Bitters
25ml Fresh lemon juice
10ml Homemade Orgeat
5ml Sugar syrup
Method: Add all ingredients to mixing glass and shake hard for ten seconds
Glass: Chilled vintage cocktail
Garnish: N/A
Ice: N/A
Inspiration: The Sidecar, as published in Robert Vermiere's Cocktails: How to Mix Them (1922) was a drink of equal parts Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice, served in a cocktail glass with no sugar rim and credited, like many other drinks, to Malachy MacGarry of the Buck's Club in London.
Where I took my Sidecar inspiration from was a quote in Embury's Fine Art of Mixing Drinks where he mentions that the Sidecar, "as originally concocted contained some six or seven ingredients." I've never found any definitive resource which points to a Sidecar recipe with this number of ingredients however some do believe he is referring to the Brandy Crusta (Cognac, Curacao, lemon juice, Boker's Bitters, sugar syrup) which does hold some weight but doesn't really sit well with me due to the fact Embury doesn't link the two in his book and that's something I'd imagine he would've done given the way he wrote. The other drink often linked is a Brandy Daisy (Brandy, Rum, lemon juice, Curacao, gum syrup and soda)
I opted to create a drink staying true to the original Sidecar whilst giving a little doff of the cap to others like the Daisy and Crusta. Another drink I took inspiration from was Jerry Thomas' Japanese Cocktail of 1862 (Cognac, orgeat syrup, Boker's Bitters, lemon peel). The name pays homage to Joseph Santini, the creator of the Crusta.
4. Provide an innovative short-serve for the judges
Panacea
75ml Merlet Cognac
37.5ml Stones Green Ginger Wine
5ml Jade Edouard Absinthe
5ml Merlet Creme de Cassis
Method: Add all ingredients to mixing glass without ice. Stir briefly then funnel into a hip flask
Glass: Hip flask
Garnish: N/A
Ice: N/A
Inspiration: In Scotland we don't go to the chemist, we reach for the hip flask.
I finished third overall which, although it's always good to take top spot, I was relatively happy with as my drinks were very well received. The winner was Adam Neal from Rick's in Edinburgh, many congrats to him and best of luck for the final in Cognac later this year where he'll be competing for a trip to St. Lucia or Mexico.
I'd also like to extend my thanks to the guys from CASK who put together a very well run competition. My only grievance would be regarding the time-limit rule as the eventual winner went way over the allotted time and would've had to have a host of points deducted. Bartending competitions are very professional nowadays with bartenders putting a lot of time and effort into their presentations so it can be a little frustrating when your presentation is geared toward a specific parameter that isn't adhered to by all competitors. Time-limits should either be in place or not. In saying that I wouldn't have liked to have seen anyone lose out in that way.
The CASK Roadshow and Competition continues in Leeds (6th September), Manchester (8th September) and London (21st September). Visit the website for more details...
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Adam Elmegirab
Bar Consultant / Compounder
Evo-lution / Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Bitters
E-mail: adam.elmegirab@evo-lution.org
Web: www.evo-lution.org / www.bokersbitters.co.uk
Facebook: Adam Elmegirab / Evo-lution Bar Consultancy / Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Bitters
Twitter: @AdamsBitters
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