Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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The Latest in Beverage Competitions F. Paul Pacult, longtime friend and contributor to Beverage Dynamics, has begun a program of spirits and wine competitions, called Ultimate Beverage Challenge. We asked him how his competition works and how it can benefit retailers. BD: You’ve been a beverage alcohol evaluator and judge for many years. What makes Ultimate Beverage Challenge competitions different from the many established beverage alcohol competi- tions? FPP: UBC differs on many crit- ical levels. First and foremost is new methodology. Rather than using any type of standard glassware, for example, we use only fine crystal that appropriately showcases each spirit, cocktail or wine to its fullest. We serve beverages at the proper temperature under ideal clinical conditions at the state-of-the-art Astor Center in New York. We use a unique multilevel scoring system. We never serve judges flights larger than ten beverages so they remain focused. As I discovered serving as a judge, fresh judges supply the most accurate results. Ultimate Beverage Challenge Chairman F. Paul Pacult (center) flanked by his UBC partners David Talbot and Sue Woodley. should be. Scotches and cognacs are served in white wine glasses to funnel their aromas, critical to accurate scoring. No panel judges more than 50 to 60 spirits in a day in order to prevent palate fatigue. These innovations are what set USC apart. BD: Is Ultimate Cocktail Challenge a new concept? FPP: Never before have spirits been judged in how they react in classic cocktails. UCC broke ground in April 2010 by judging, for instance, how different gins reacted in Dry Martinis and Aviations. Fact is, some gins make better Aviation cocktails than others. That’s what we’re trying to find out. With UCC 2011, we’re adding another innovation, a competition for Signature Cocktails, which are cocktails that have been specifically created by an individual brand. So we’re going to judge which Signature Rum Cocktail, for exam- ple, stacks up against other rum- Speaking of judges, we select only the finest experts in the world as UBC judges. I’m talking about industry icons such as Steve Olson, David Wondrich, Jacques Bezuidenhout, Jack Robertiello and Doug Frost for spirits; Dale DeGroff, Jim Meehan, Julie Reiner, Gary Regan and Audrey Saunders for cocktails; and for wine we have Masters of Wine Mary Ewing Mulligan, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan and Master Sommelier Laura Maniec. I’ve named just a few of the authorities who are UBC judges. Last, UBC publicizes authoritative, meaningful results via the understandable and straightforward 100- point system. Rather than handing out medals like peanuts at a circus, we reward genuine quality with UBC’s coveted Chairman’s Trophy. BD: Tell us about Ultimate Spirits Challenge. FPP: Steve Olson calls USC “the fairest spirits competition on the planet” because we take every step possible to give each entry the best chance to show well to the judges. All panels taste “blind,” which is the only way to judge. Vodkas are served properly chilled, as they based Signature Cocktails. We’ll do that in thirteen spir- its and wine categories. BD: Please elaborate on Ultimate Wine Challenge and how UBC approaches wine evaluation. FPP: We apply many of the innovations utilized in USC to UWC, such as proper fine crystal glassware, ideal serving temperature, small flights, appropriate flight arrangement and our unique multilevel scoring system. We also boast more Masters of Wine than any competition in North America. BD: How can UBC results benefit beverage alcohol retailers? FPP: UBC utilizes the 100-point system, a boon for retailers because their customers relate to this trusted scoring system. We are at work on a section on www.ultimate-beverage.com specifically for retailer use that will debut in time for the first Challenge results this March. We’ll make all results easily available to retailers so they can promote the winners. We will pro- vide complimentary sticker, bottle necker, shelf talker and case card artwork to all participating brands so they can promote their scores at retail. Finally, UBC will also identify Great Value items from the results. UBC is on the side of retailers, pure and simple. 20 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • March/April 2011