Deadlines announced for Love Drinks’ much anticipated Mezcal Competition
Widely regarded as one of the best cocktail competitions in 2022, mezcal brands Recuerdo and Zignum are back again in 2023 with an even bigger and better challenge to keep the mezcal momentum moving in the UK.
With regional heats set to take place at the end of April and early May, bartenders need to submit their entries by midnight on the 14th April.
Hosted by the mezcal brand’s distributor Love Drinks in collaboration with the mixologist masters at BarLifeUk, the competition in 2022 saw over 100 talented bartenders battle it out in cities across the UK for exclusive places on the once-in-a-lifetime trip to Oaxaca, taking in the famous Day of the Dead celebrations.
Last year’s comp was a double-header, meaning bartenders could create an entry for either or both of the mezcal brands with everyone competing together. Due to the success and sheer number of entrants in 2022, this year there will be separate standalone competitions for each brand.
Bartenders can still enter both competitions to give themselves double the chance of winning but the regional heats for each brand will be run on separate, consecutive days in cities around Britain.
Samantha Burke, Managing Director of Love Drinks, commented: “Last year’s competition is a perfect reflection of the buzz surrounding mezcal in the UK so we’re all incredibly excited to launch this year’s competition and keep the mezcal momentum moving. The number and quality of entries was truly amazing in 2022 so we’re hopeful that the extended competition and prizes will provide additional opportunities for bartenders to be part of fun and immerse themselves in the magic of mezcal.”
HOW TO ENTER?
Visit here for full terms and conditions and to enter.
The first competition is focused on the El Recuerdo Abocado Con Gusano mezcal.
The second competition is based around the Zignum Reposado mezcal.
Interested bartenders are welcome to enter a drink into either or both of the competitions.
The rules are very simple for both competitions – bartenders must create a cocktail that contains a minimum of 30ml of the chosen mezcal and have a maximum of 1 home-made ingredient.
For the El Recuerdo Abocado Con Gusano entries – the drink must celebrate the flavours of Oaxaca and traditional mezcal. For those bartenders who get inspired by taste and flavour, this is their chance to deep dive into all that Mexico and mezcal has to offer.
For the Zignum Reposado entries – the drink must showcase the history of Oaxaca and the traditions of its inhabitants. For those bartenders who find inspiration in the stories and history of the region, culture or spirit, this is their opportunity to discover about one of the most interesting cultures in the world.
Following the deadline for entries on the 14th April 2023, all drinks will be paper-judged with the successful bartenders invited to compete at their nearest regional heat.
The judges will be scoring each drink and presentation against the following criteria:
- Taste: 50 points
- Visual Appeal: 10 points
- Aroma: 5 points
- Hitting the Brief: 10 points
- Presentation: 25 points
THE PRIZES
The outright winners of both the El Recuerdo and Zignum competitions will each receive once-in-a-lifetime trips to Oaxaca to experience the magic of mezcal first-hand in its home surroundings, visit the award-winning producer Casa Armando Guillermo Prieto and immerse themselves in the world’s most sustainable mezcals from El Recuerdo and Zignum.
THE 2022 COMPETITION
After an extraordinary final held at Crazy Pedro’s in Birmingham, it was a clean sweep for Scotland in 2022 after Ellie Raeside from Hoot the Redeemer in Edinburgh and Zach Sapato from Absent Ear in Glasgow were crowned winners.
Commenting on the prize trip, Ellie Raeside said: “It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and trip! We got to delve deep into Mexican culture with food and festivities, which was so amazing to be a part of. The Day of the Dead was a serious highlight, the costumes and face paint (maybe not my own) were unreal! Seeing the beauty of how mezcal is created was brilliant too, from the tradition to the progression of today, it’s an amazing process! I’d go back in a second and can’t thank Love Drinks enough for the experience!”
About Love Drinks
Love Drinks is an independent import, distribution and marketing company for premium quality spirits, liqueurs and craft beers. Their portfolio represents quality, craft-distilled and family-owned brands that have a rich provenance, heritage and history.
Founded by Kirsty Loveday BEM in 2007, Love Drinks represent Abelha Organic Cachaça, The Bitter Truth Cocktail Range of Bitters and Liqueurs, Conker Distillery, Einstök Icelandic Craft Beers, Goslings Bermuda Rums, Hernö Gins, The Ikigai Collection from BBC Spirits, Pedrino Spritz, White Heron Drinks and the Recuerdo and ZIGNUM® Mezcal Brands.
Love Drinks holds the silver accreditation for Investors in People and pioneered Love Well – an initiative to help the health and wellbeing of people working in the hospitality industry. The company was named Drinks Business Drinks Distributor of the Year in 2019.
For more information visit https://lovedrinks.com/or follow on Facebook – @lovedrinksltd Instagram – @love_drinks_ltd or Twitter – @Love_Drinks. To speak to someone, call 0207 501 9630.