Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/960891
100 / the tasting panel / april 2018 BARTENDERS GO BEYOND COCKTAILS FOR GLENFIDDICH'S MOST EXPERIMENTAL BARTENDER COMPETITION G lenfiddich's World's Most Experimental Bartender Competition—formerly known as the Kindred Spirit Competition—has always set itself apart from other cocktail contests by the sheer inventiveness and artistry it demands from its participants. Rather than require bartenders to simply create a cocktail using Glenfiddich expressions as the primary ingredients, the acclaimed Scotch whisky producer encourages contestants to come up with unique "serves" for their entries. In the past, finalists have paired Glenfiddich with tea and oaties, crafted edible cigars, and constructed whisky cocktails using sous- vide methods. Now in its fourth year, the competition has set the stakes even higher as Glenfiddich brand ambassadors and Tasting Panel edi- tors travel all over the country to see the serves in person. The results are in: Eleven finalists will embark on a trip to Scotland this spring to compete in the U.S. finals, with one winner con- tinuing on to compete for the coveted title of Most Experimental Bartender in the global final this November. We've profiled the serves of this accomplished group of bartenders and hope these serves will inspire your own creations behind the bar! Jill Anderson The Drifter in Chicago, IL "Heather & Hearth" The Serve: For the impressive presentation of her cocktail serve, Anderson burned Glenfiddich's stag emblem and indentations for four Glencairn glasses into two unfinished wood rounds, then attached a carved ox horn and stand onto each round. Each horn contains rosemary and lemon thyme, which "adds a three-dimensional element and fragrance to the serve," Anderson says. The cocktail served in the glasses features Glenfiddich 14 Year Old, Drambuie, V.E.P. Green Chartreuse, housemade cardamom, coffee bitters, and a lemon-twist garnish. The Inspiration: Anderson says her serve is intended as a large-format cocktail for between two to eight people (there's four glasses per wooden round). "The look and feel of the serve was meant to evoke a rustic Scottish landscape while presenting an elegant cocktail with opulent ingredients," she explains, add- ing that she chose the Glencairn glass to concentrate and intensify the drink's flavors. MOST EXPERIMENTAL BARTENDER Pushing the Limit PHOTO COURTESY OF JILL ANDERSON