London’s leading bartenders put their technical skills and flair in the mix to compete for the Cocktail Maker of the Year title at The Colony Club’s annual ‘Mayfair Tournament’.
Bruno Giovanni, from the Blue Bar at the Berkeley in Knightsbridge, was awarded the coveted title out of 18 contestants and took home the £1,000 prize with his creation ‘Passion and Love’.
For the Sipsmith sponsored event, each contestant was required to submit an original recipe, which contained at least 25ml of Sipsmith Gin and fewer than nine ingredients including syrups, fruit juices, dashes and drops.
Bruno’s winning cocktail included 50 ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin, 25 ml Prudence Cream, homemade Citrus Gin Liquor (lemon and orange Sipsmith VJOP infused, blended with cream and sugar), 15 ml lime juice, 10 ml homemade vanilla syrup and 10 ml of BrewDog Punk IPA beer to top up.
Francini Daniele, from Salvatore’s Bar at the Playboy Club, was runner-up in the annual contest which also features a round where the finalists are given secret ingredients and challenged to come up with show stopping results.
The Mayfair Tournament was created in 2013 by The Colony Club’s Food and Beverage Manager Riccardo Andreotti to celebrate the stars of London’s cocktail making scene and it attracts representatives from the capital’s celebrated venues.
Riccardo said: “The talent on show from such highly skilled professionals was amazing and their knowledge and passion was clear. The judges certainly had a difficult task choosing a winner but Bruno’s infectious charm and delivery stood out along with his skill in mixology and the outstanding quality of the finished cocktail.”
Delighted winner Bruno added: “I’m passionate about creating cocktails with new flavours and ideas. To win such a prestigious title makes me very proud.”
The judging panel included Otto Hoenig, Genting Casino’s Food and Beverage Director, Jared Brown, Sipsmith Master Brewer, Thibault Bouquet, Food and Beverage Manager at 45 Park Lane and James Grundy, Sipsmith’s Sales Director.
