Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1004126
july 2018 / the tasting panel / 81 It's rare that experimentation can be described as the lifeblood of any 130-year-old institution, but when you step onto the grounds of Glenfiddich in Dufftown, Scotland, the sense that something surprising could be found around every corner is so abundant that it rivals the scent of malted barley permeating the crisp, clean air. That infectious spirit certainly made an impression on the group of ten U.S.-based bartenders who visited the esteemed distillery in April as part of Glenfiddich's fourth annual World's Most Experimental Bartender competition. After spending several days together in Edinburgh and Speyside, the participants convened at the distillery to showcase an original cocktail featuring a Glenfiddich expression as part of an impeccably crafted "serve" they hoped would capture the attention of the judges: Ian Millar, Glenfiddich's Global Brand Ambassador and a venerated whisky expert; Sonia Lessuck, Associate Brand Manager for Glenfiddich; Jenna Elie, creator of the popular blog Whisky A Go Girl; and Kate Newton, Senior Editor at The Tasting Panel. Needless to say, the competition was steep: After the bartenders navigated the judges through immersive presentations so impres- sive that they bordered on sensory overload (for more on each of the ten qualifying serves, see the April 2018 issue of The Tasting Panel), the panel selected Jill Anderson of The Drifter in Chicago as the winner. With her Heather & Hearth serve, Anderson will vie for the title of World's Most Experimental Bartender when she returns to the Glenfiddich distillery alongside representatives from 15 other participating countries in November. JILL ANDERSON OF CHICAGO WILL REPRESENT THE U.S. IN GLENFIDDICH'S MOST EXPERIMENTAL BARTENDER COMPETITION by Kate Newton / photos by John Paul Ten U.S.-based bartenders vied for a spot in the finals of Glenfiddich's World's Most Experimental Bartender competition at the company's distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, in April. Pictured in back from left to right are Joseph Bennett, Jeramy Campbell, Shaun Stewart, and Seamus Banning; in front from left to right are Oscar Sinisterra, Ben Golden, Young Kim, winner Jill Anderson, Hemant Kumar Pathak, and Stephen Kurpinsky. Jill Anderson (second from left) of The Drifter in Chicago celebrates after her win with judges Ian Millar, Glenfiddich's Global Brand Ambassador; Sonia Lessuck, Associate Brand Manager for Glenfiddich; Jenna Elie, creator of the popular blog Whisky A Go Girl; and Kate Newton, Senior Editor at The Tasting Panel.