Bartender Of The Year

OVERVIEW:

1. Bartender Of The Year Winners
2. The Bartender Game
3. Bartender Of The Year
4. The Bartender Song

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• 2020 BARTENDER OF THE YEAR RULES AND REGULATIONS. Sponsored by Liquor.com and Heaven Hill. This is a search for the 2020 Bartender of the Year. This person will display total breadth and aptitude in their abilities as a professional bartender.

This is a search for the 2018 'Bartender of the Year'. This person will display total breadth and aptitude in their abilities as a professional bartender. Over the course of the three stages of the competition and across multiple varying challenges, these bartenders will display (for example) Creativity and innovation

• Knowledge of classics
• Product knowledge
• Ability to think on their feet and read their guests needs
• Speed and efficiency
• Presentation style
• Genuine Hospitality

CHALLENGE:

A sneak preview of the World Class TV- series, starting January 9th, 2015!

There are three stages of the 'Bartender of the Year' competition.

• Submit two recipes using Heaven Hill Brands.
• The recipes will be blindly judged by our panel of experts and qualifying bartenders will move on to compete at one of eight regional semi-finals.
• First place winners from each regional semi-final will move on to compete at a destination location (The Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia) for the chance to be crowned 2018 ‘Bartender of the Year’ and win $15,000 in cash, star in a Liquor.com video shoot and be invited to judge in the 2019 ‘Bartender of the Year’ finals competition, location TBD. Second place winners will attend the finals should the first place winner not be able to attend for any reason.

PRIZING:

Regional Semifinals Prizes

Liquor.com and Heaven Hill Brands will select six qualifying bartenders to be invited to compete at each of the eight regional competitions.

• All participants will receive a $100 Visa gift card, provided by Liquor.com.
• Judges will select a 1st and 2nd place winner.
  1st Place Prize:
• $1,000 Visa gift card
• A trip to destination The Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia to compete at the National finals
• A chance to be crowned the 2018 ‘Bartender of the Year’
• The chance to win a grand prize of $15,000
• The chance to star in Liquor.com video shoot
• Airfare and lodging accommodation for (2) nights
• Arrive Dates TBD
• All prizing, airfare and accommodations provided by Liquor.com

2nd Place Prize:

• $500 Visa gift card
• The chance to attend the finals in at The Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia should the first place winner not be able to attend.
• All prizing, airfare and accommodations provided by Liquor.com

FINALS PRIZES:

One bartender will be chosen as the overall winner of the 2018 ‘Bartender of the Year’ Competition. The winner will receive:

• Cash prize of $15,000
• Feature article on Liquor.com announcing the winner
• 3 part Liquor.com video series, distributed across Liquor.com channels
• Travel and 2 nights lodging in TBD (for video shoot)
• Trophy/award (specifics of design TBD, To be provided by Liquor.com)
• Taxes are the sole responsibility of prize winner. No substitution/transfer of prize permitted.
• All prizing, airfare and accommodations provided by Liquor.com

TIMELINE:

• September 15, 2017 12:00:01 a.m. – October 31, 2017 11:59:59 p.m. PST: Open for online recipe submissions
• February – March 2018: Regional / Semi-final activations in Austin, Charleston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, Portland, San Diego, and San Francisco
• June 17th to June 20th 2018: Final Event, The Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia

GENERAL RULES:

• Professional Bartender is defined as someone employed by a bar, restaurant or catering service of sorts sometime in the 6 months prior to the start of the competition.
• All entrants must be professional working bartenders.
• Competitors must be at least 21 years of age
• Competitors must be legal residents of the United States or Puerto Rico

PUBLICITY:

• By entering this program, you are giving Liquor.com, Heaven Hill Brands, and its affiliates explicit rights to use your photo, an image of your drink, drink recipe name, and your drink recipe for publicity purposes, including but not limited to: press, social media, digital activation and promotional activation.
  

SELECTION PROCESS:

Phase 1 – Online Entries:

For the purposes of determining the Regional finalists, entries will be assigned to the closest applicable market, as determined by the Sponsor. All complete entries submitted to www.bartenderoftheyear.liquor.com within the entry timeframe will be judged against the below criteria based on the perceived qualities of the written recipes and essay entry.

Judges will not take into consideration current employer, time spent bartending or any other personal information in the selection of Regional finalists.

Criteria:

Each competitor must enter two cocktail recipes:

• 2 cocktails; 1 short essay/description
• Cocktail #1 – Family:
• This cocktail should be created around the theme of Family. This can be somehow tied to your family, your bar/industry family, what you consider most meaningful about the concept of family, etc.
• Must contain at least 1 of the sponsor brands, Elijah Craig; Rittenhouse Rye; Domaine de Canton; PAMA (no requirement of which) as a primary ingredient using a minimum of 1oz.
• Must explain how this cocktail ties to the concept of family in 350 words or less

• Cocktail #2 – Classic:
• This cocktail must be a recognizable classic/version of a classic
• The cocktail must retain the original name of the classic it is a representation of
• Must incorporate at least 1 of the whiskies (Elijah Craig; Rittenhouse Rye) and at least 1 of the Liqueurs (Domaine de Canton; PAMA)

• Recipes must contain on more than 2.5oz. (at 40% alc./vol.) total combined alcoholic ingredients and the total volume of the ingredients shall not exceed 6oz.
• Recipes must not exceed 7 ingredients including drops, dashes (This does not include garnishes)
• Ingredients must be expressed in fluid ounces (.5 oz., 1 oz., 2 oz., etc.), with dashes and drops being the smallest quantities.
• Preparation and mixing instructions must be included with your recipe.
• Limit one full entry per person.
• A blind judging panel will review and score the entries. Initial scores will be based on the judge's' interpretation of the written description submitted. In some cases, judges may recreate the cocktails to settle closely ranked submissions.

Scoring:

Inspired by your idea of Family (50 points):

• Cocktail Name (5 points)
• Appearance and Presentation (perceived based on description) (5 points)
• Balance of Flavors, Aroma & Character (20 points)
• Written Inspiration & Explanation of the concept (10points)
• Creativity (5 points)
• Product Knowledge 5 points)

Classic Cocktail (50 points):

• Cocktail Name (5 points)
• Appearance and presentation (perceived based on description) (5 points)
• Balance of Flavors, Aroma & Character (10 points)
• Clear representation of the classic it is based on (or a direct version of)(20points)
• Ability to integrate all required ingredients in an intelligent way (10 points)

Judges scores will not be available to contestants at any stage of the competition.
Phase 2 – Regional / Semi-Final

For the purposes of selecting Semi-Finalists, regional events will be judged by local panels, as determined by the Sponsor with the assistance of Liquor.com. The regional competition rules and judging criteria will be created by Liquor.com and will be shared with all regional participants prior to the regional competitions.

Regional competitions will be held in February and March of 2018 in eight markets:

• Austin
• Charleston
• Chicago
• Denver
• New York City
• Portland
• San Diego
• San Francisco

Bartenders who reside outside of the participating regions and are chosen to participate are responsible for their travel expenses to the regional events (if applicable). This includes bartenders who reside in Puerto Rico. Contestants from Puerto Rico will be responsible for their travel to the US to one of the Regional locations to compete, if chosen as a finalist.

Bartenders will be chosen by a blind panel, based on their recipe submissions. Qualifying bartenders will be invited to compete at one of the eight regional competitions. At each regional:

Bartender Of The Year Winners

• 6 Bartenders will compete across 2 distinct challenges
• All participants will receive a Visa gift card
• Judges will select a 1st and 2nd place winner

Phase 3 – Final

A total of eight finalists will be selected from the regional event winners and will compete at the finale event at The Lodge at Sea Island, Georgia. For the purposes of selecting the winner of the 2018 Bartender of the Year, a panel of well-respected industry experts selected by Liquor.com and will judge the competition. Rules and judging criteria will be created by Liquor.com and will be shared with all Finalists a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the Final competition.

Any entries attempted through the use of agencies or robotic, repetitive, automatic, programmed or similar methods will be void. Any attempt by a person to use multiple email accounts or identities to gain more entries than permitted by these Official Rules shall result in disqualification at the sole discretion of Sponsor. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting an entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the 'authorized account holder' associated with the email address at the time of entry, which must comply with these Official Rules. The authorized account holder is defined as the natural person who is assigned an e-mail address by the service provider or other organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses. Potential winners may be required to provide evidence (to Sponsor's satisfaction) that they are the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with a winning entry. In the event a dispute regarding the identity of the person who actually submitted an entry cannot be resolved to Sponsor's satisfaction, the affected entry will be deemed ineligible. Entries and other submitted material become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Refer to Additional rules below for more details regarding the requirements for your entry.

POST FINALS:WINNER REQUIREMENTS:

2018 ‘Bartender of the Year’ must be available the day after the Finals for internal interviews and with reasonable accommodations make time to be available in the following week for media interviews.Travel accommodations will be made for all finalists to accommodate this requirement.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY:

Entries must be in English. Entries must not allude to the overconsumption or irresponsible consumption of beverage alcohol. Entries that do not include all required information and do not adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be considered in the judging of this contest. Entries that are deemed by Sponsor in its sole discretion to be illegal, obscene, profane or not in keeping with Sponsor's image will be disqualified.

The Bartender Game

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

By submitting an entry, you warrant that:

• You are the creator of the entry
• The entry is wholly original (with exception of the classic cocktail)
• The entry does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights or any other legal or moral rights of any third party, including any current or former employer, and does not defame any person or identify any person by name other identifying information
• The entry has not previously been entered in any other contest
• The entry has not been previously published in any medium (with exception of the classic cocktail)
• The entry does not violate any law or regulation
• Sponsor's determination as to whether any entry potentially violates the rights of any third party is final.

ELIGIBILITY:

Employees of Heaven Hill Brands, Liquor.com, their affiliates, liquor wholesale licensees, as well as advertising/promotion agencies and their immediate family members and household members of each and retail license holders are not eligible. This promotion is void wherever prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. In the event that the contest is challenged by any legal or regulatory authority, Sponsor or Administrator reserves the right to discontinue or modify the Contest, or to disqualify participants residing in the affected geographic areas. In such event, Sponsor and Administrator shall have no liability to any entrants who are disqualified due to such an action. You must be a resident of the United States or Puerto Rico and at least 21 years of age to be eligible. Contest void wherever prohibited or restricted by law.

By accepting a prize, any winner: (a) releases Heaven Hill Brands/Liquor.com and their affiliated companies and licensed alcohol wholesalers and retailers from any/all liability claims, action or proceedings arising out of or for injuries or damages sustained while involved in any promotion activity or connection with the use of the prizes; as well as (b) consents to the use by Heaven Hill Brands/Liquor.com for promotional purposes in connection with this promotion, of his or her name and/or likeness and/or voice without further compensation where permitted.

The Sponsor and participating promotional companies are not in any way liable for damage, loss or injury resulting from computer malfunctions, misdirected or incomplete entries or acceptance and use of the prize. Heaven Hill Brands/Liquor.com reserves the right in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this contest should virus, bugs or other causes beyond the control of sponsor corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the contest. The Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel terminate or suspend the contest. The Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. CAUTION: Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the game is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such attempt.

Entrants will be automatically opted-in to receive messages from Liquor.com. (Entrants may unsubscribe from list at any time.)

I acknowledge that I have read and understand the rules & regulations pertaining to 2018 Bartender of the Year Sponsored by Heaven Hill Brands.

Heaven Hill Brands is a registered trademark used with permission.

BARTENDER OF THE YEAR — And The Nominees Are..

Counting Down To The 21st Staging Of The Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards, Thursday, May 30, 2019

Thursday, May 16, 2019

The Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards 2019 committee is pleased to announce the 13 nominees for the Bartender of the Year Award. The top five finalists will be selected on Monday, May 20 and the winner will be announced at the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards on Thursday, May 30 at Devon House.

Gossette Brown —Brown, currently a bar supervisor, has been employed for the last eight years at the multi-award-winning Rock House Hotel in Negril, Westmoreland. Brown is, too, the reigning Taste of Jamaica Bartender of the Year, Jamaica's culinary ambassador to the gastronomy product overseen by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, the lead bartender on the National Culinary Team, and a council member of the Jamaica Union of Bartenders and Mixologists Limited. Impressive credentials aside, his cocktails are truly memorable.

Donnine Wilson — Lead bartender at Half Moon Hotel. Wilson is the winner of Half Moon's Internal Bartender Competition, having developed several cocktails, including the festive libation dubbed 'Legacy 65' in celebration of the property's 65th anniversary.

Wilson beamed with pride when she shared her ideation behind the development of this cocktail. She wanted to make a connection with Half Moon's past and its present, using natural herbs and spices. The Legacy 65 cocktail is comprised of pimento liqueur, fresh ginger, lemongrass-infused syrup (lemongrass is used across the property, especially in the spa), fresh lime, pineapple juice (the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality) and Blackwell Rum. Wilson highlighted the connection with Blackwell rum and the Half Moon Hotel. Half Moon's Marketing & Communications Manager Danille Gordon confirmed that in 1958 Chris Blackwell, who had been teaching water-skiing at the Half Moon Hotel, decided to record the in-house jazz band led by Bermudian Lance Hayward, a young, blind jazz pianist. Blackwell's first recording, an LP of jazz standards released in 1959, was the genesis of his independent record label Island Records. In 2016, Half Moon paid homage to the band members and Chris Blackwell by hosting a historical retrospective celebration for the band and its work and exhibited the original copies of the album.

Bartender Of The Year

Andrew Weir — Bartender at Russell T-20 Restaurant & Sports Bar, Old Harbour.

Weir is a rising star, having begun his bartending journey about two years ago. He has found a passion for creating pleasurable, feel-good cocktails, and is aspiring to be a master mixologist, travelling and inspiring young bartending professionals to choose the bartending profession because they love it and can make a difference in providing high-quality customer service.

Adrian Johnson — Lead bartender/bartender supervisor at the Cliff Hotel, West End, Negril.

Johnson has worked for 20 years as a bartending professional. He began his career in 1999 as a bar porter, and has developed a passion for his job, honing his skills through training and coaching. Johnson has consulted on many a bartending project, cocktail and bar menu. He has won bartender of the year for Jamaica in 2014 and 2015. In 2014 and 2015, Johnson represented Jamaica in the annual Taste of the Caribbean competition held in Miami where he copped silver medals in both years. Overall, he has amassed over 15 medals, certificates and trophies.

Randeen Thomas — Lead bartender/mixologist at the Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience, Siloah, St Elizabeth. Thomas is an ambitious bartender/mixologist who has been in the field for eight years. Thomas's first job was at Café Eurasia, then he moved on to several other bars and cafés where he has further moulded his craft. Thomas's participation in several competitions has also facilitated the enhancement of his skills. Thomas can be found on Instagram showcasing his cocktail skills using in-season local herbs and fruits.

Milton Wisdom — Bar supervisor at Cellar 8 Wine Bar & Bistro, Manor Park, St Andrew. Wisdom, bartender extraordinaire, is known for his sense of style. Wisdom attended Seaforth High School, the Caribbean Maritime Institute, Boys' Town Vocational Training Centre and JWN Academy. He has copped awards such as most outstanding student in Food and Beverage Level 2 and Dining Room Supervision Level 3 (NCTVET, NVQJ standards). Wisdom has been a bartender since 2014 and works with brands such as Appleton Estate and Campari. He is vice-chair of the Jamaica Union of Bartenders and Mixologists Bartender Council and is a double silver and bronze medallist at the 2018 Taste of Jamaica Bartender Competition.

Trevor Luke — Bartender at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel, New Kingston.

Luke, also known by his Instagram pseudonym Cocktailblaque, has worked as a bartending professional since 2013. Luke credits his love for bartending from experiences gained working at the VClub, Struan Castle, the Spanish Court Hotel and now, the Marriott Courtyard. Luke sees mixology/bartending as his canvas and uses this for creating beautiful masterpieces highlighting levels of bartending gastronomy such as molecular cocktails and the use of smoke. Luke is a graduate of The Academy of Bartending, Spirits & Wines where he copped the Bartender Excellence Award and Senior Mixologist designation. He is determined to further excel in his career by building his talent through education and travel, taking his Jamaican style with international flair to the world.

Renee Watt — Mixologist at Chillin, Murray's Fish & Jerk Hut, Porus Clarendon

Watt's initial entry into the world of bars and bar service was in 2007 at Nan's Bar. Watt describes this experience as challenging as she knew nothing about alcohol and alcohol service, with the exception of seeing her dad, a rum lover, enjoy this libation with his friends. In 2013, she decided to focus on her career and began to research as well as engage in short courses. In 2017, Watt was employed by Kaluga Café as a bartender. During her time at Kaluga Café she further honed her skills. Watt explained that even though, at first, she found the role challenging, after a while she was dominating the bar. Watt felt very accomplished and more so as a woman dominating what is considered a man's profession. Watt furthered her skills at the JWN Academy in 2017. In 2018, Watt entered the Taste of Jamaica competition and walked away with numerous medals, winning overall second place/silver in the Bartender of the Year competition.

Melisa Fletcher — Bartender, The Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Montego Bay, St James.

Born and raised in Lucea, Hanover, Fletcher attended Clapham All-Age School, Black River High School, and the Kenilworth HEART Academy. At HEART, Fletcher was trained as a garde manger chef and later proceeded to work at the Wyndham Hotel in 2006. Fletcher was further trained as a banquet server and bartender. Fletcher excelled in the bartender training provided and became very passionate about it as a career. In 2011, Fletcher was selected as a candidate to compete with other food and beverage specialists across Jamaica in the Taste of Jamaica competition. In 2012 and 2013, Fletcher shone bright and earned two trophies, six gold medals, seven silver medals, and four bronze medals. In 2014, the management of the Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa asked Fletcher to assist in the preparation of the new coffee and juice bars, which also were successful. In 2015, Fletcher was selected for the general manager Merit Award at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa.

Illustrator cs5 for mac keygen. Vernon Johnson — Senior bartender, Island Entertainment (Margaritaville & Coral Cliff), Montego Bay, St James

Johnson has been a bartending professional for over 18 years and credits this longevity to his love for the profession. He acquired training and experience having worked at Sandals, The Ritz-Carlton and Secrets hotels. He also worked as bar manager for four years for VIP Attractions — Sangster International Airport. Service is the core of his professional expression. Johnson believes that to be a successful bartender the personality must reflect the profession. He considers himself as an all-rounder who learns something new each day and his style of creativity, customer engagement, and high service levels are reflected in his style of cocktails. Johnson has been nominated and copped a number of awards such as employee of the month and year.

St Aublyn Kidd — Head mixologist/bar supervisor, Grand Palladium Hotel & Resorts, Hanover

St Aublyn Kidd is an eclectic mixologist who goes by the moniker Captain Kidd, a name developed after being the captain/leader of each sport team he joined, and for his display of leadership. A St George's College and JWN Academy graduate, Kidd gained his formative bartending experience working as a storeroom clerk at Top Shelf Professional Food & Beverage service between 2007 and 2012. At that time, Kidd recounts that the management of Top Shelf wanted him to be a cook behind the bar. Kidd began researching topics like flips, brix ratios and slings and soon was enamoured of the possibilities presented by unusual spirits, classic mixes and new flavour profiles.

Kidd grew up in Seaview Gardens, a community in close proximity to J Wray & Nephew Limited, Select Brands and Red Stripe, and used his location advantage to successfully approach each entity for freelance opportunities. In 2010, Kidd was awarded the Jamaican Champion of The Appleton Estate International Bartenders' Showcase and in the following years competed in competitions such as Hennessy 250th Cocktail Competition and Bacardi Mojito Competition. Time spent at “689 by Brian Lumley” propelled Kidd towards celebrity mixologist status, allowing him to make several media appearances.

Maurice Tensang Chung — Lead mixologist at Cheers 39, Kingston.

Chung grew up in the Old Harbour and Portmore communities of St Catherine. He is a graduate of St Catherine High School and also completed studies at HEART Runaway Bay, Diageo Learning for Life and JWN Academy. At the end of the Learning for Life programme, Chung copped the Trailblazer Award for Bartending and Mixology. Chung's food and beverage career spans assignments at the Courtleigh Hotel & Suites, MV Regal Empress Cruise Lines, Long Horn Steak House, Bars To Go Party Service, and The Alibi Restaurant & Bar. Chung has represented globally renowned brands such as Appleton Estate and Campari. Chung's cocktail the Colbeck Negroni, was featured in Campari's Global Compendium Book of Cocktails. In addition, Chung is an adjunct trainer in mixology at The Academy of Bartending, Spirits & Wines and a member of the Jamaica Union of Bartenders and Mixologists Bartender Council.

Jermaine Wray – Lead bartender, Canoe Cove Villa, Mammee Bay, St Ann.

Wray has been employed as a bartending professional since 2007. Wray's journey began in the hotel industry where he worked within the concierge department for three years, then transitioned to the bar. He worked at Riu Club Hotel for 11 years and a little over a year at the Beaches Resorts. Wray believes that the professional bartender must be excited about his or her career, be creative, and a quick thinker. Wray describes himself as an ambitious, motivated and passionate bartending professional who is highly organised and results oriented. Wray's philosophy is that working hard towards a goal is the key to success. Wray is certified in supervisory management.

Continue to follow @jamaicaobserver and @bartendingacademyja for more information about this very prestigious and exciting designation.

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The Bartender Song

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