The competition began at The Captain’s Club Bournemouth, with ‘CJ’ from The Larder House winning. His cocktail ‘For Whom The Bells Toll’ was garnished with smoked apple chips soaked in myrrh and the judges praised his showmanship and presentation.
In Glasgow at The Tiki Bar & Kitch Inn, Simon Juvas from The Carlton George Hotel won the Scottish heat, with his ‘First Over The Wall’. Created with brandy and crème d’apricot, the decadent cocktail was said to be perfectly balanced and brought out the great base flavour of Bénédictine.
The third leg of the tour was hosted by Almost Famous Manchester, with Lewis Cooke from Epernay beating 13 contestants with his ‘Catholicon’ cocktail.
London’s Shaker & Co was the final location for the competition, where Jeremy Pascal from Perkin’s Reveller was named the winner. His ‘Monk’s Flip’ cocktail paid homage to Bénédictine’s Medieval heritage, including a warm infusion of rosemary, among other herbs and spices.
Each regional champion wins a trip to France in December, which includes a visit to the liqueur’s birthplace in Fécamp, Normandy and a ‘cocktail safari’ in Paris, courtesy of Bénédictine.
Bénédictine Liqueur brand manager, Paul Curry, said: “The contestants were of the very highest calibre throughout, each bringing something slightly different to the competition. We can’t wait to take our four regional winners to the home of Bénédictine, particularly on this centenary anniversary of World War I, as the strong links between Béné and the Lancashire Regiment of Burnley make this liqueur so relevant to the UK.”
