Posts with tag clement
Posted Jul 3rd 2007 9:15AM by Jonathan M. Forester
Filed under: East Coast, Lush Life, Cocktails, America, Liquor Cabinet
I have to apologize that it took so long to finish writing up this series. I have been in the process of moving and traveling extensively for business.
Well as I you found out in
Part Three, I didn't make the finals in the Second Annual Clément Rhum NYC Cocktail Challenge. But I will tell you who the finalists are, as well as the winners and all their cocktails.
I spent almost an hour scouring the streets of NY looking for parking at the busiest time of day, five pm. The VIP party for the competition started at six pm, but I had been trying to get there early so I could take some photos and talk to a few of the finalists before the crushing crowd of other media folks leapt in the the frantic fray, slugging down cocktails and getting in my way. By the time I found legal parking it was just a few minutes before six. I went inside and hob nobbed with a few of the Clément folks who I knew and chatted up some bartender acquaintances who had made it to the finals. One of the judges told me that the whole competition had been a big fight to the finish. They had originally planned to narrow the field down to just a half dozen finalists, but instead had thirteen entrants who were neck and neck right down to the line. The final judging of the Big Thirteen had been done earlier in the day and I found out that it was very close, all were within a few points of each other. What I would have given to be one of those judges!
Continue reading Second Annual Clément Rhum NYC Cocktail Challenge: Part Four- The Finalists
Posted May 20th 2007 11:36AM by Jonathan M. Forester
Filed under: Juice, Lush Life, Recipes, Cocktails, Rum, Trends, Spirits, Liquor Cabinet, Liqueurs
Two Days after the Semi-Finals in the Second Annual Clément Rhum NYC Cocktail Challenge:
Well, at the end of
Part Two of my series on the Second Annual Clément Rhum NYC Cocktail Challenge I had just finished being judged in the semi-finals. I had made a few mistakes that messed up my presentation, but my
St. Clémentine Sour itself is a very good drink. Also the possibility of being the only Sour entered in the competition may just go in my favor.
I was told that the final judging would be in less than a week and that all semi-finalists were going to be asked to join the VIP party after the final judging. A three hour bash where all the finalists, as well as the winners would be serving their entry's. The press was also going to be invited to the party, which meant that I got two invitations to the event. One as a entrant, and one with a press pass to write about it, sometimes I wish I was twins.
Well, whichever way it goes I was at least going to get a great party out of it. Of course making it to the finals would be awesome. I didn't really expect to get that far, but if I did, it sure would be fun. Now I just had to wait a few days to see if I made it.
Continued after the jump...
Continue reading Second Annual Clément Rhum NYC Cocktail Challenge: Part Three- Did I make the Finals?
Posted May 17th 2007 12:35PM by Jonathan M. Forester
Filed under: Juice, Lush Life, Recipes, Cocktails, Rum, Trends, Spirits, Liquor Cabinet, Liqueurs
This is part two of my journey in the Second Annual Clément Rhum NYC Cocktail Challenge, the semi-finals. As you may know I was invited to compete in the cocktail event by Clément Rhum which I wrote about in
Part One of this series.. My entrant, The St. Clémentine Sour was part of several weeks of development playing around with various ingredients. Since I was coming from out of town to the event I didn't have a NYC bar to sponsor me. After much emailing and phone calls it was arranged that I would be at The Waterfront Ale House to make and show my cocktail for the semi-finals.
I spent several days before hand putting together a
mixologist tool kit since it was required that I bring all my own tools and ingredients, except for the Clément Rhum products which would be provided. I bought a beautiful aluminum sided tool box from Home Depot for $20, with black painted sides and brushed aluminum edges. I filled it with cocktail shakers, juice squeezers and reamers, measuring spoons and cups, jigger measures, ice tongs, muddlers, bar knives and spoons, cutting boards, pouring spouts, strainers, and other utensils.
I was a little nervous since it has been quite a few years since I was last on the working side of a bar. By now it was the first week of May and clementines aren't really in season or available. I found a few cases at a local produce place but when I tried them I realized they were useless. They were overripe and getting nasty tasting.
Continue reading Second Annual Clément Rhum NYC Cocktail Challenge: Part Two- The Semi-Finals
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