DRINK CULTURE
Ultimate Cocktail Challenge
Winners for best classic and signature cocktails announced.
At the second annual Ultimate Cocktail Challenge
Counter clockwise from top right: From left to right: Marcos Tello, UBC founder and judging chairman F. Paul Pacult and Steve Olson discussing a cocktail entry. A UCC bartender shaking a cocktail. Judges, from left to right, Doug Frost, founder; Pacult; and bartenders Julie Reiner and Willy Shine.
in New York, dozens of brands and their respective mixologists faced off in a competition for best classic cocktail and best signature cocktail in a variety of categories. Th e cocktails were judged by a panel that included F. Paul Pacult, the founder of the Ultimate Beverage Challenge, and a variety of mixologists including Dale DeGroff and Gaz Regan. Th e classic cocktail recipes were chosen in advance, such as “the best gin in a Negroni” or “the best vodka in a Cosmopolitan.” Th e signature cocktails were broken down by spirit category, where brands entered an original cocktail to be judged against their peers. For a complete list of winners and recipes for the winning
signature cocktails, visit www.ultimate-beverage.com/ ucc2011results.
Pouring Wine On-Tap Th ree West Coast restaurants are off ering a new take on wine in kegs to
their customers. Th irsty Bear Brewing in San Francisco, Residual Sugar Wine Bar in Walnut Creek, CA and Hub Restaurant & Creamery in Tucson are off ering Long Meadow Ranch 2010 Sauvignon Blanc in a stainless steel kegs complete with a traditional tap system for pouring. Th e kegs are reusable, eliminating all packaging waste, and hold 5.16 gallons, or approximately the equivalent of 26 bottles each.
JUNE 2011 | 9
