In 2022, London Spirits Competiton promised its entrants that it would add a new cocktail story feature in its entry form at no extra cost, and now it has started to deliver on it.

The first round of cocktail stories is now live on London Drinks Guide. It will be further organized with a dedicated cocktail section for users where they will be able to sort recipes by drinks and styles.

The new initiative for the 2022 competition allowed every brand owner, distiller, or supplier entering the awards to submit a cocktail suggestion for each of the products they enter. One of the key recommendations the London Spirits Competition has had from producers and bartenders is to find more ways to bring the products that win medals to life. To help them better promote their awards to the final consumer.

That way, it hopes to give bartenders a quick, easy way to showcase any winning brand they list by working with that cocktail in their bar or adapting it to one of their own. But crucially, it also gives consumers a new way to enjoy that brand as the producer wants them to. View the full article on The Buyer.

Image: London Drinks Guide Website

Sid Patel, head of the London Spirits Competition and founder of the London Drinks Guide, explains: “The competition prides itself on being one step ahead by thinking like the consumers who, after all, are the potential buyers for any of the top awarded spirits in the event. Allowing drinks producers to enter a bespoke cocktail for each of their products effectively creates a bridge to connect brands with consumers through the bars they visit. As organizers constantly listen and adapt our offer to give producers, suppliers, and importers clear and added benefits to entering their spirits.”

What does this mean for London Spirits Competition winners?

The cocktail recipes will also be featured on the London Drinks Guide, the dedicated consumer website set up by the Beverage Trade Network, organizers of the London Drinks Competitions, to help promote drinks, producers, and suppliers that participate in its events. 

This benefit is at no extra cost to the entrants. Entrants can upload their cocktail pictures and add their recipes while registering the spirits brand in the entry zone.

Here are some of the cocktail stories that have started appearing on the London Drinks Guide and are being promoted on London Drinks Guide social accounts.

Image: 3 Award Winning Gins and 3 Neo-Classic Cocktails by Tack Room Distillery

Breakfast Martini with Contemporary London Dry Gin 

This gin won 82 points and a Silver Medal for its aromatic nose of lemon, lime zest, and floral notes and a balanced palate of sweet, spice, and fresh citrus.

The long finish makes it the perfect cocktail base - especially for the Breakfast Martini, a tangy fresh cocktail with fresh botanicals.

Ingredients: 

1 Spoon of Orange Marmalade 

50ml Tack Room London Dry Gin

15ml Cointreau 

15ml Lemon Juice

Toast and an Orange zest for Garnish

Method: 

Stir the Marmalade and lemon juice on the bottom of the Boston shaker until the marmalade dissolves.

Then add all the other ingredients, ice, and shake until cold. Fine strain to a chilled martini or coupe glass and garnish.  

Image: The Hot Buttered Gow Rum cocktail is everything you need to stay cozy this season!

Light golden color with notes of citrus fruits, pineapple, vanilla, spices, cloves, and cinnamon. The palate has a spicy character and a long warming finish.

Among its many cocktails is the Hot Buttered Gow - A hot and spicy cocktail perfect for feel-good winter evenings

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Demerara sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 Dashes of bitters

A pinch of ground cinnamon

A pinch of Allspice

50ml J. Gow Spiced Rum

Cocoa powder to garnish

Method:

Add all ingredients to a heatproof glass (or mug) and pour in 100 to 150ml of boiling water. Stir well and sprinkle over the cocoa powder.

Image: Golden Wattle Sour by Three Chain Road Premium Dry Gin

The Three Chain Road Premium Dry Gin uses Angelica root to create a lovely aniseed note reminiscent of fine-aged Durif. It is complemented by native Australian botanicals like lemon myrtle and wattle seed.

Juniper characters lead and are clean on the palate; flavors of licorice and lemon myrtle linger, adding a desirable length and warmness to this gin.

It makes it perfect for the Golden Wattle Sour, a signature cocktail that is rather complex but looks worth it.

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Ingredients: 

60ml Three Chain Road Premium Dry Gin

10ml Lemon Verbena Infused Sugar Syrup (see recipe below)

15ml Macadamia & Wattleseed Liqueur 

30ml Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

Soda Water

A zest of lemon for Garnish

Method: 

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Combine all the ingredients, except the soda water, and shake until well chilled.

Strain the drink into a rock glass filled with ice and top with a dash of soda water.

Garnish with a zest of lemon.

Lemon Verbena Infused Sugar Syrup

Ingredients: 

5 whole Lemon Verbena leaves OR 1 tsp dried Lemon Verbena Leaves

125ml Water

100g caster sugar

Brands looking to save and get the best pricing are encouraged to enter before August 31 and ship samples later. Here are the details on how to enter:

Wine: London Wine Competition

Beer: London Beer Competition

Spirits: London Spirits Competition