Here are the Finalists for Anise?
but first, Here were the rules:
Cocktails are to feature an anise forward spirit, herein defined as:
-Contain at least one ANISE FLAVORED SPIRIT (listed here)
-Any cocktail family but must have at least
-.25 oz of anise spirit in a stirred cocktail
-.75 oz of anise in a shaken sour
- 1 whole oz in a highball, julip or exotic
-Remember, KEEP THESE COCKTAILS BALANCED! YOU CAN DO IT!
The Dahlia Cocktail
Chelsea Anderson of Sun Liquor 1st Place
- 1 oz Cocchi Americano
- 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
- 3/4 oz Melitti Anisette
- 1 dash Scrappy’s Lavendar Bitters
Stir and serve over one large ice cube with a nice long lemon twist.
Chelsea from Sun Liquor putting a needed update on the chrysanthemum cocktail.
Bikini Weather
Dallas Taylor of Oddfellows
- 2 oz meletti anisette
- .75 oz lime juice
- .5 oz simple syrup
- 3-4 mint sprigs
- 1 egg white
crush mint sprigs in hand (reserve one good-sized leaf for garnish) and put in bottom of mixing glass
remove the spring from a hawthorne strainer and put that in there, too
add the rest of the ingredients and top with ice
shake the ever-living fuck out of it
strain over fresh ice into a collins glass
garnish with mint leaf
The Bikini Weather by Dallas, brought blush to the cheeks of all that drank it.
The Whatchamacallit
Dennis Schafer Oyster Bar at Bayou Bay in Bellingham
- 1 oz Pacifique Absinthe
- 2 oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
- 1/4 oz St Elizabeth Allspice Dram
- 3-4 oz Bundaberg Ginger Beer
Stir first three ingredients with ice and strain into ice filled collins glass.
Top with ginger beer and garnish with slice of fresh ginger.
This subtle, session drink wins the award of “cocktail you are most likely to have 5 of.” Thanks Dennis
Any Port In The Storm
Brady Sprouse of Tavern Law Honorable mention for “Best Pimp Cup Lookin’ Drink”
- 1oz Meletti Anisette
- 1oz Voyager Gin
- 1/2oz Smith & Cross
- 1/2oz Chateau D’ Orignac Cognac
- 1/2oz B.G. Reynolds Orgeat
- 1/4oz Combier Kummel
- 1oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2oz fresh orange juice
- 1/2oz Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters
- 1 mint sprig for garnish
Combine all ingredients, except bitters and mint, into mixing tin w/ ice, shake and double strain into Tiki Goblet or large Collins glass filled w/ crushed ice. Float bitters on top and garnish w/ mint sprig
This drink was so good, we are changing the rules of the upcoming competitions to allow bartenders to “cram extra awesome in.” Also, look at Brady that mint spanking!
A Phalanx of Cannonade
Jason Saura of Bar Naga at Chantanee
- 1 oz Rhum Neisson Blanc
- 1 oz Rothman and Winter Apricot
- 0.75 oz Gilka Kümmel
- 0.5 oz Byrrh
- 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 Barspoon Pacifique Absinthe
Add all ingredients except absinthe to a shaker and shake with ice. Add the absinthe to a chilled cocktail glass and swirl to coat the inside of the glass. Strain shaker contents into the glass and garnish with a brandied cherry speared to a pineapple leaf.
Too bad this photo of Jason didn’t show off the awesome cannon ball garnish.
Ario Bertacca
Renee Somerset-Mucha of Brave Horse Tavern
- 1 oz High West 7000′ Vodka
- 1 1/2 oz fresh squeezed blood orange juice
- 1/2 oz Meletti Anisette
In a ice-filled highball, add vodka, then OJ. Stir slightly to combine, then float the anisette on top. Garnish with an orange twist.
Renee’s cocktail was in effect a “blood orange Harvey Wallbanger.” A Nobel prize will surely ensue.
Here are the finalists for the Vermouth!
The rules were:
Booze only from Vinum Importing‘s portfolio and at least 50 % of the cocktail had to be fortified wine.
Foreign Legion
by Joshua Batway of Skillet Diner
Fill a cocktail glass with ice and add ⅛ oz of Pacifique Absinthe
In a mixing glass combine the following ingredients:
- 1 ¼ oz Old Raj (Blue Label) Gin
- ¾ oz Cocchi Americano
- ¾ oz Dolin Dry
- 4 dashes Scrappy’s Orange Bitters
Add ice
Stir thoroughly
Swirl and discard the ice/absinthe mixture leaving a light wash in the glass
Strain into the absinthe washed cocktail glass
Garnish with a lime twist (be sure to twist the lime over the cocktail)
Little Sparrow
by Leroy Thomas of Rocco’s
- 1 1/2 ounce Salers
- 1 ounce Sound Spirits Old Tom Gin
- 1/2 ounce Sun Liquor UNXLD Vodka
Stir. Strain. Up. Garnished with a small peel of lemon zested over the glass.
Honeybee’s Revenge
by Matt Everson – The Real McCoy, Bellingham, WA
- 1.5 oz Cht. d’Orignac Pineau de Charentes
- 1 oz Old Raj Blue Label Gin
- .5 oz Lemon
- 2 dashes Scrappy’s Cardamom bitters
Shake all ingredients together and strain into martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Leave It Alone
by Ryan Wilmsmeier of Bastille Cafe & Bar.
- 1 ounce Byrrh
- .75 ounce Batavia Arrack
- .25 ounce Smith & Cross
- 1 dash Bokers Bitters
Stir and serve up in a small cocktail glass.
The Mont Blanc
by Noah Momyer of Monsoon East 1ST PLACE
- 1 oz Cocchi Americano
- .5 oz Cocchi Di Torino
- .5 oz Combier Creme De Mure
- Splash of rose water
- 2 dashes Scrappy’s orange bitters
Stir, strain over large ice cube in rocks glass
Flamed orange zest
Monsignor
by Seth Sempere of Coterie Room
- 1 oz Averell damson gin liqueur
- 1 oz Cocchi Barolo Chinato
- 1/2 oz Chateau d’Orignac Pineau des Charentes
- 2 tsp St Elizabeth allspice dram
- 1 dash Scrappy’s orange bitters
Stir and strain into a cocktail glass
Here are the finalists for the Brown Bitter & Stirred Competition
The rules were:
Booze only from Vinum Importing‘s portfolio and at least .5 oz of the cocktail had to be from the bitter parts of our portfolio.
the judges’ table gets hazy
El Mas Chingon
Dave Flatman of Little Water Cantina but represented by Shavonne Maes from Pike Brewery
- 2oz Rowan’s Creek
- 0.5 oz Saler’s
- 0.5oz Cocchi Torino
- 3 dashes Scrappy’s chocolate bitters
- 2 dashes Scrappy’s aromatic bitters
Rinse glass with pacifique absinthe. Serve up. No garnish.
Wicked Little Critta TIED FOR 1ST PLACE
Seth Sempere from Coterie Room
- 1 1/2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom gin
- 3/4 oz Smith & Cross rum
- 1/3 oz Zucca
- 1 long dash Scrappy’s chocolate bitters
- 1 long dash Scrappy’s orange bitters
Pacifique absinthe, to rinse, and orange zest too
Cloven Hoof EDITOR’S CHOICE*
Dallas Taylor from Oddfellows
- 2 oz Byrrh
- 1 oz Aveze
- 1/2 oz St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram
Stir and strain into a bucket, orange zest
Muse for Hire TIED FOR 1ST PLACE
Bryn Lumsden from Vessel
- 1.25 oz Neisson Élevé Sous Bois
- 1 oz Byrrh
- .25 oz Combier Creme de Mure
- 1 barspoon Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters
Stir and strain into coupe. Garnish with a pretty lime twist.
Four to the Floor
Jonathan Hudak from Smith
- 2 oz Noah’s Mill Bourbon
- 1/2 oz Zucca Amaro
- 1/8 oz Pacifique Absinthe
- 2 dash Bitter Truth Creole Bitter, (or Peychaud’s) (or whatever Anise Bitters ya’ll carry at Vinum I can’t find it on your site)
Directions:
1. Fill bucket glass with ice.
2. Add Absinthe to ice.
3. Add Bourbon, Zucca, and Bitters in a mixing glass and stir – gently – with ice. Let rest a moment.
4. Jiggle bucket with absinthy ice to coat the walls of the glass, and chill nicely. Then disgard ice and absinthe, making sure there is only a thin veneer left in the glass.
5. Strain the stirred liquor into the absinthed glass, Sazerac-style.
6. Garnish with wide lemon peel, slice the peel with a knife down its center without cutting it in half, and use the sliced center of the peel to attach it to the rim of the glass.
Autumn’s Amendment
Nik Virrey from Liberty
- 1oz High West Double Rye
- 1oz Willet Pot Still
- 1/2oz Pür•Likör Blossoma
- 1/4oz Pür•Likör Spice
- 1/4oz Simple Syrup (1:2)
- 2 dash Scrappy’s Aromatic bitters
- 1 dash Scrappy’s Lavendar bitters
Garnish with a thin orane zest wrapped around the glass
Though Bryn and Seth tied for first place in points, the tie breaker was (and always will be) fewest ingredients wins. Seth used 6 and Bryn used 4 so Bryn took the $100.
Every cocktail in this competition was great and every cocktail expanded the definition of “Brown, Bitter & Stirred.”
Amazing bartenders all lined up to make you drinks
*I don’t judge any part of the competition but I still want to be heard, this cocktail is my choice for “opposite of what you’d expect and awesome.”
