Katie McDonald explains how to make her variation of a classic, the MADhattan, at Veneto Tapa Lounge in Victoria, BC, Canada for The Art of the Cocktail Festival.
Workshops will be posted and available for sale on September 1.
Workshop tickets will only be available to people who have bought a Grand Tasting ticket.
The World Traveller – Best Bars & Cocktail Lounges
That rambunctious bon vivant of Iron Chef America and the Thirsty Traveller Kevin Brauch is back and we’ve got him. Who can forget his antics at the Best Bartender of the Pacific Northwest Competition last year. He rocks, he rolls and he knows all about cocktails. Kevin’s hosting a session that will take you around the world as you discover the best cocktail lounges you won’t want to miss. Swizzle and Shake
Trader Tiki himself Blair Reynolds is going to grace Art of the Cocktail. His cocktail blog, TraderTiki.com, is renowned for information on tiki drinks and culture, and has been featured in mags across the U.S. Blair will be teaching all about the swizzle, and what's in the shake with a workshop featuring a glimpse at the history of tropical mixology and PolyPop culture. The workshop will feature a sipping tour through tiki history, and what makes a drink "tiki", including an interactive tropical cocktail development hands-on, complete with reward for the best drink of the class!
The Pre-History & Evolution of Gin
Come out for a fling with jet-set bartender, occasional writer, saloonkeeper and full-time honorary Dutchman Philip Duff charts the ancient, missing true history of gin; from the Moors settling France as far as Bordeaux until 732 AD, to 1269 in Holland, England's Gin Craze in the 1700s, the birth of Mahon gin in the 1700s, the rise and fall of gin, and the re-birth of the gin category in the late 1980s. Includes exhaustive tastings of every gin and genever you've never heard of, including a world exclusive: gin made to the world's oldest recipe for a gin, all the way from 1495.
Latest Brands Added
Bits and Pieces
Best Bartender of the Pacific Northwest Competition Presented by EAT Magazine
It’s the battle of the finest for the Pacific Northwest title.
Are you up to the challenge or are you afraid to compete?
Have you retired because you’ve won a competition and you feel you’ve got more to lose than gain? Think again – cause chicken is chicken and you’re gold is getting dull.
Get yourself sparked up because it’s time to take on the Best Bartender in the Pacific Northwest: David Wolowidnyk
Do you have what it takes to challenge him for the title?
Can you dazzle the Judges? Application to Compete
Prizes:
A feature in EAT Magazine to the winner of the competition
$250 cash prize
An industry pass to the 2011 Art of the Cocktail
Judges include: Ted Haigh, Treve Ring and others to be announced.
And for those that want to go beyond the Grand Tasting try out a Pass this year:
Spirited Pass
Includes
Choice of two (2) workshops
Admission to Grand Tasting (with 5 sample tickets)
Admission to Best Bartender of the Pacific Northwest Competition
$90 + HST
Industry Pass
Includes
Choice of three (3) workshops
Best Bartender of the Pacific Northwest Competition
Brand Tastings
$99 + HST
Imbiber’s Dilemma
Includes
Choice of six (6) workshops
VIP Grand Tasting (token free from 6 - 7 PM)
Best Bartender of the Pacific Northwest Competition
Brand Tastings
$199 + HST
Newsletter 2 - Art of the Cocktail Updates
It’s time to think all things cocktail as the next Art of the Cocktail (AOTC) is only a mere 71 days away.
Guest & Workshop Announcements
The Cocktail Kitchen
Lauren Mote, the gorgeous diva from The Refinery in Vancouver is making a return appearance at Art of the Cocktail. Last year Lauren stepped in and did the Bitters Workshop after the Scrappy folk couldn’t show and we got such great feedback that we knew we had to bring her back. So join Lauren as she presents the Cocktail Kitchen where she’ll delve into pairing cocktails to food just as you would wine – matching the weight, sweetness, and acidity between food and spirits. Adding subtle nuances of food product to cocktails above and beyond egg whites and fruit juices, like vegetable waters, purees, preserves and syrups allow you to have complete control over a successful cocktail flight with dinner - appropriate for bartenders and the "at home cocktailians".
Herbaceous Cocktails
The award-winning David Wolowidnyk hot off the competition trail (having just won the Bar Chef competition in Toronto) is going to dazzle us with the Herbaceous Cocktail. Think all things fresh and herbalicious as we follow the trend that will have you spanking your basil and loving it.
Restaurant & Lounge Additions
Sips Artisan Bistro • Bon Rouge • The Office • Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub
Veneto Tapa Lounge • Vista 18 • Clive’s Classic Lounge
Bits and Pieces
Check out the latest cocktail videos:
Stephen Quigley explains how to make a Mojito at Stage Wine Bar in Victoria
Best Bartender of the Pacific Northwest
Next newsletter watch for the announcement of the prizes that will go to the winner of the competition. Application forms now on line.
Lazy Mon's Sorrel Rum Punch - Cocktail Number 6
Liquid Revolutionist Shawn Soole explains how to make a Lazy Mon's Sorrel Rum Punch at Clive's Classic Lounge in Victoria, BC, Canada for The Art of the Cocktail Festival
