10th Annual United States Bartenders’ Guild Most Imaginative Bartender Competition Names Vail’s Tacy Rowland Winner among Vail’s Top Talent
Top Local Bartender Heads to BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin Distillery in England to Compete for North American title
Last night in Las Vegas, the United States Bartenders’ Guild hosted the regional finals of the 10th Annual Most Imaginative Bartender Competition (MIB) sponsored by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin. 10 of the top bartenders from Las Vegas, Denver, Vail and Phoenix brought their most creative works of art to the table utilizing every skill necessary to craft the most imaginative cocktail that would make a memorable first impression on the esteemed panel of judges. At the end of the evening, Vail’s Tacy Rowland, who created the An Uncommon Perspective cocktail was announced as Las Vegas’ 2016 Most Imaginative Bartender Winner (recipe below). Rowland will now move on to the North American Finals in England along with 9 of the top bartenders across the U.S. and Canada.
For the very first time this August, and in celebration of the program’s 10th Anniversary, the Top 10 finalists will travel to London and the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Distillery at Laverstoke Mill Distillery – the brand home of BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin – to vie for the 2016 North American title. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to Tuscany to learn about a selection of botanicals that are vapour-infused within the gin and will also be featured on a special edition cover of GQ Magazine’s December Men of the Year issue.
“It’s an honor for my cocktail to be recognized by such an esteemed panel of judges. It’s been quite the journey to get to this point, says Rowland. A lot of the winners of The USBG Most Imaginative Bartender competition are universally known within the bartender community, and this competition helped jumpstart their careers. It’s humbling to be considered at the level of their talent. I can’t wait to represent Vail this fall in London along with some of the world’s greatest bartenders.”
The USBG MIB Competition is proud to work with bartenders who have gone on to further their careers and today be known as some of the top bartending talent across the country. Since winning the 2015 North American MIB title, Justin Lavenue has since expanded his own cocktail bar in Austin – into one of the city’s hottest accounts. That same year Justin was named Food & Wine’s Best New Mixologist and Eater’s 2015 Bartender of the Year. 2014 winner Ran Duan transformed his family-owned business – a traditional mom and pop Chinese restaurant just outside of Boston – into one of the most talked about cocktail bars in the nation in the wake of his victory.
“Since its inception, the USBG Most Imaginative Bartender competition has witnessed exponential growth in both popularity and creativity. It has always been important for BOMBAY SAPPHIRE to remain at the cutting edge of both cocktail culture and innovation,” says Ned Duggan, VP, Managing Director for BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin. “As we celebrate our 10th anniversary milestone, I am excited to see what new competition and level of cocktail artistry this year brings. It’s an honor to be a part of such an instrumental competition that continues to grow and provide a platform for emerging talent across the country. Rowland’s An Uncommon Perspective is true innovation and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with in London!”
An Uncommon Perspective
An Uncommon Perspective2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
½ oz Clarified Lime
½ oz Clarified Lemon
1/8 oz Tomato Water
1/8 oz Clarified Passion Fruit
¾ oz Spiced Fennel Syrup
10 drops Black Tea Tincture
About the USBG
The United States Bartenders’ Guild is an organization of beverage service professionals dedicated to the continued refinement of our craft. Such refinement is achieved through advanced product education; original hand crafted cocktail competitions; and aggressive involvement with other professionals in the beverage industry throughout the country and internationally. It is our intention, desire and main focus to become the most skilled, knowledgeable and professional group of bartenders in the industry. Above all, the United States Bartenders’ Guild supports and promotes well-informed, responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages.
ABOUT BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® is the fastest growing premium Gin in the world and world’s number one premium Gin by value. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is created with a unique combination of ten hand-selected botanicals, sourced from around the globe. The brand’s global essence and signature vapour infusion process impart a refined and perfectly balanced taste, versatile enough for both classic cocktails and exotic recipes. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.
BE BRILLIANT AND INSPIRED. DRINK RESPONSIBLY!
