The Cocktail Challenge
Getting involved in cocktail competitions is always a great way to stretch your creative and technical skills. And that’s exactly how this cocktail came about.
If you haven’t dipped your toe in cocktail comps before, here’s the lowdown:
The brand/s involved will announce a theme and a set of rules outlining what and how many ingredients you can throw into the mix. Some of these comps can be a bit stiff and boring, and bartenders can be fussy about which ones they throw their hat into the ring for (mostly based on what’s in it for them!).
So, brands pull out all the stops to come up with fresh themes and tricky rules!
But back to our bevvy!
The theme for this challenge, “The Vero Bartender Competition” (hosted by Amaro Montenegro), was a blast from the past: the 90s calling!
Bartenders had to come up with a cocktail inspired by the great classics of the Pop Culture era, using Amaro Montenegro as the star player, alongside 4 other ingredients.
The Modus Operandi
My mind immediately jumped to the MC Hammer bangers and great movie “The Big Lebowski,” which built the popularity for the infamous “White Russian”. A cocktail built with a Vodka base, coffee liqueur, ice, and a top of milk. (The breakfast of the champions!)
Nice and easy! Nothing flashy, yet incredibly popular back in the day, and, even these days, any respectable bartender would know how to make one!
The bar scene in the 90s was a whole different! It was all about setting the vibes and dishing out the feels rather than just focusing on the drink itself.
For sure, bartenders spent a lot less time mocking behind fat washes and Rotovaps, which seem to have become the norm these days.
So, without getting too carried away, I’ve decided to re-adapt the White Russian to our modern care for technique, merging past and present.
My 5 ingredients
Of course, Amaro Montenegro took centre stage! (I’ll save all the brand spiel for my speech on comp day) But honestly, I’ve got a soft spot for this Amaro! The aim with this drink was to highlight some of the botanicals that give it that bittersweet charm, ones that aren’t as well-known as the usual orange peel and citrusy flavours.
A great pairing for it was something that mightn’t have been huge back in the day, but these days, it’s a real go-to! I’m talking about Tequila, specifically a Reposado Tequila, which adds depth to the drink and enhances the vanilla and caramel notes of the Amaro.
Next up, I’ve thrown in an Ensamble Mezcal. For “the common civilians” out there, an Ensamble Mezcal is a Mezcal (No way!) made using two or more different species of agave plant. This brings a heap of complexity and character to the cocktail, with a hint of smoke.
No cocktail is complete without a bit of coffee! (Words of a proud Italian) So, I batched up a coffee mix involving cold brew coffee, which amps up the bitter side of the amaro, and a dark local honey, which balances out the bitterness, adding body and texture to carry those flavours to the palate (sweeteners are the real MVPs!). Being a dark honey, it also brings a savoury note that pairs beautifully with the mezcal!
And to finish it off, a layer of aromatised cream made with coconut, almond, and mezcal.
I’m particularly proud with its recipe, even though it gave me a few headaches to get it right.
The process behind it is relatively simple but a little lengthy, so I’ll save that for another time.
Let me know if you’re keen for me to chat more about it.
