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C hampions from nine USBG (United States Bar- tenders Guild) chapters competed on May 12 at Harry Denton's Starlight Room in San Francisco for the honor of representing the United States at the World Bartending Competition in August 2009. The San Francisco regional competition was held ear- lier in the day, with seasoned competitor Ronaldo Colli of Americano sweeping both the technical and cock- tail awards. With a repeat performance in the national event, Colli proudly accepted the technical trophy for his cocktail, the "Kama Sutra." At the national level, Southern Wine & Spirits Direc- tor of Mixology Armando Rosario was awarded fi rst place with the "Real Dill," a savory cocktail composed of Tres Generaciones Plata tequila, Vox vodka, cucumber, agave nectar, lime and dill. True to his signature "make it fresh, keep it simple" style, Rosario elevated the sim- plest ingredients to an art form. The competition was underwritten by Beam Global Spirits & Wine and Tres Generaciones, and Rosario's fi rst place win includes a trip to Berlin, Germany, where he will compete in the In- ternational Bartenders Association's 35th Annual World Cocktail Competition. With the cocktail revival now a full-scale reformation, the USBG recently launched a Master Accreditation Program to establish national industry standards. The new program offers three tiers of achievement—Spirits Professional, Advanced Bartender and Master Mixolo- gist—and is being offered online, at trade shows around the country and in all 11 USBG chapter cities. Complete registration details and a schedule of upcoming exams are available at www.usbg.org. USBG Nationals at San Francisco Cocktail Week Competitions by Deborah Parker Wong USBG's 2009 national winners (left to right): Ronaldo Colli, San Francisco, Technical Award for "Kama Sutra"; Ricky Gomez, New Orleans, Third Place for "Red Pepper Daisy"; Armando Rosario, Las Vegas, First Place for "Real Dill"; DJ Love, Chicago, Second Place for "Aztec Gold." Armando Rosario's win- ning cocktail, the Real Dill, elevates Tres Generaciones Plata tequila, Vox vodka, cu- cumber, agave nectar, lime and dill in to liquid art. Southern Wine & Spirits Director of Mixology Armando Rosario competing in the USBG's na- tional competition. PHOTO: BRETT LEONHARDT PHOTO: BRETT LEONHARDT PHOTO: DEBORAH PARKER WONG 38 / the tasting panel / june 2009