I guess I was so busy drooling over the fact that FINO's Bill Norris won the contest last night that I forgot to mention his winning cocktail. Before doing so I want to say a few more things about the event. Although by my estimation there were only a few true craft mixologists in the bunch, this is not to say that everyone who competed didn't put forth a strong effort. In the way of showmanship, there were some tremendous performances, such as the gentleman from 219 West who built a tower of bottles and glass platforms encased in a dry ice fog for the presentation of his cocktail; there was also the bartender from the Yellow Rose who erected (?) a screen behind which there was a titillating (?) display of sexually charged shadow dancing while he mixed, all of this before he ingested a mouthful of high proof rum and exhaled a fiery plume onto his glasses. The entertainment value here is incontrovertible.
What I would have liked to see is more of the craft--the artistry in the glass, and not just in the presentation. I tried many of the drinks. Most were drinkable, some were excellent, while some were just bizarre (one drink had the taste and consistency of cake batter). Some drinks showed real creativity while some were completely derived. Is derivative mixology necessarily a bad thing? Not when the source material is solid. Take for example Tony Abou-Ganim's now famous Cable Car, just one ingredient away from the Classic Sidecar, and his is now arguably considered a modern classic.
But the Kiwi Lime Martini with the graham cracker rim is a spitting image of the Key Lime Martini that was on the menu at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse many years ago. That is not a drink that in my opinion is worth emulating.
What is at the root of this situation is that some of these contestants, who obviously have a passion for bartending, do not have the necessary education to execute great cocktails. Take for example the fellow who used three different vodkas in his green tea cocktail. Why use both green tea vodka and green tea? Why use citron vodka instead of real citrus? Why put an egg in the drink and then barely shake it? He had an idea, but not the background information to follow through on it. He knew that egg whites are used in cocktails, but didn't know to shake it to achieve the proper emulsion. He obviously wants to do something creative but needs to be doing his homework so that he actually can follow through.
That said, everybody had a great time last night and I'm glad that all of these contestants were here. I'm glad they at least care enough about their mixological philosophy to enter a contest. I'm glad that hundreds of people showed up to support their contestants, and to support the industry, and to drink cocktails. If what was being served at the bars last night was not cocktail brilliance, at least it wasn't a Bud Light. If "flare" bartending keeps people from ordering a Bud Light, that is a step in the right direction.
And now for the winning recipe, the Bee Sting by Bill Norris
The Bee Sting
2 oz 42 Below Honey Vodka
3/4 oz Meyer lemon juice
1/4 oz cracked peppercorn syrup
Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass rinsed with 100% Blue Agave Blanco Tequila--preferable something peppery. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and a flamed lemon peel.
To make the syrup:
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cups whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed (you can put them in a ziplock bag and whack it a few times with your hand on the counter.)
In a sauce pan, bring sugar and water to boil, stirring until all sugar is dissolved. Lower heat, add pepper and simmer, covered, for fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand for another fifteen minutes. Strain out solids using a fine mesh strainer and allow to cool before using. For more pepper flavor let it stand a further ten minutes before straining.
If Meyer Lemons are unavailable, Combine the juice of one orange with the juice of ten lemons.
