Having won the first ever Bournemouth bartender league competition, it was down to Adam Haines of Urban Beach to choose the topic of this Cognac competition, sponsored by Martell VSOP.
From the imagination of the winner came the subject of Cognac Drinks To Suit A Revolution.
Claimnig to have become the first major Cognac house in 1715, the Martell family went on to supply Napoleon and his distinguished guests by the end of the century.
It was at this time that the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars saw the rise in power for Napoleon.
But this competition is also about revolutionising the bartending standard in Bournemouth. The Bournemouth Bartender’s League has been created in order to give young bartenders a platform to create cocktails and showcase their talents with a healthy competiveness.
The goal is to raise the overall standard of drinks in Bournemouth whilst encouraging brand representatives to visit the town and train the bartenders about their product to an unprecedented level.
Having already learnt about Monkey Shoulder Whisky and Tapatio Tequila in the previous two competitions, it is time to learn about the world of Cognac according to Martell.
The bartenders taste and learn about the Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP) that will be used in the cocktail competition.
We learn how it is blended using the eaux-de-vie of four cognac producing regions and are able to pick out the tastes of raison and plum with a smooth oak finish. There is also a lesson in the exceptional Martell XO.
We are stood in Aruba. The music entertaining the diners drifts around the large room. The grey skies and dark, stormy sea that can be seen from the window is a contrast to calm inside.
The competition takes place at the narrow side of the bar and draws an occasional interested glance from a customer.
It is otherwise undisturbed though the competitors struggle to communicate without their voices drifting into the large open space of the venue. The big personalities and big voices will be at an advantage here.
The competition is of a high standard yet again. A couple of hours fly by and it is up to the brand ambassadors to choose first.
Three competitors are highlighted for their originality. Johnny Brissenden’s Cognac Milk Stout Flip served in a bespoke bottle and Mark Carson’s soda streamed cocktail were both highly commended.
But it was Larry Haxby from The Larder House to win the brand representative prize for the second competition in a row for a Cola Cognac drink, served in a small bottle.
A Cognac and coke revolution influenced by the horror that is encountered when a customer orders a brandy and coke, but only Cognac is remaining on the bar and the criminal process of mixing cognac and cola cannot be avoided.
The competitors are also the judges and they pick their top two entrants.
The results come in with Tommy Quy winning points again, finishing third with his cocktail that emphasised the subtle tastes of the Martell.
Mark Carson finished in second place while winning for the second competition in a row is Hassan Mugambwa with a drink based around a story from the English Civil War and a fig flavoured cocktail finished with foam.
The next competition takes place at Le Chic on Monday 8th April at 1pm.
The competition will be in conjunction with the Diageo World Class competition and will be set to the same requirements as World Class.
Bournemouth bartender’s League after Competition Three:
1. HASSAN MUGAMBWA, CAPTAINS CLUB. 20
2. ADAM HAINES, URBAN BEACH HOTEL. 11
3. KANE MANLEY, CHEWTON GLEN. 9
4. TOMMY QUY, CAPTAINS CLUB. 7
5. TOM POPLE, THE LARDER HOUSE. 6
6. MARK CARSON, EAU DE VIE. 5
6. LAWRENCE HAXBY, THE LARDER HOUSE. 5
8. ALEX CHARLESWORTH, CAPTAINS CLUB. 3
8. ANDY COLEMAN, MAI TAI. 3.
8. JOE PROUT, DELICIOUS DINING. 3
11. MATTHEW DUTTON, SMOKING ACES. 2
11. TOM KING, THE LARDER HOUSE. 2
11. JOEL WHITMORE, THE LARDER HOUSE. 2
14. DANIEL BOOTH, SMOOKING ACES. 1
14. JOHNNY BRISSENDEN, EAU DE VIE. 1
14. TOR BYRNES, CORIANDER. 1
14. TERRY DENNIS, URBAN REEF. 1
14. CARL MUNHAWA, ARUBA. 1
14. JACK NOBLE, ARUBA. 1
14. BEN PIERCY, FRAMPTONS. 1
14. MAX REED, SMOKING ACES. 1
14. SHYAM. 1
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