Five Frozen Rum Cocktails pitted against each other. Which one would prevail as the winner? Which bartender's creation would impress the most?
Last week, at
Tiki Rock on Broad Street in Boston, the
B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Blender) competition was held, where five local and talented bartenders were invited to create frozen cocktails, using
Appleton Estate Rum. The event was organized by
Curtis McMillan, the
General Manager at Tiki Rock, who is also a professional bartender with over 20 years of experience. He recently published,
The Mischievous Mixologist: A Hardcore Hospitality Book, a fascinating cocktail book which blends "
hardcore punk culture with the art of mixology."
The public were invited to the contest, to sample the cocktails, and vote for their favorite frozen concoction. There were also three official judges, who got to vote as well. Curtis invited me to be one of these three judges and I was joined by two well-experienced bartenders, including
Van Hongthong of
Row 34 and
Palmer Matthews of
Dotty's Kitchen & Raw Bar and
Pearl & Lime. It was great to hang out with the other two judges, comparing and contrasting the various rum drinks. It was a fun evening overall.
Each contestant kept busy with their blenders, creating frozen treats for all of the guests. It was fun to watch each bartender carefully craft their cocktail, listen to how they prepared some of their ingredients, and understand their inspirations. They were all very personable and I appreciated their obvious passion. However, hard decisions had to be made, and I had to vote for my top two favorite cocktails.
The
Winner of the BYOB Competition, as well as my own personal favorite, was created by
Sean Leonard of
Pearl & Lime. The
Pura Vida, which is Spanish for "
pure life," was inspired by Sean's recent honeymoon in
Costa Rica. "Pura Vida" is a common saying in Costa Rica, exemplifying their outlook on life, a sense of positivity. I found this cocktail to be smooth, complex and fruity, a satisfying drink which immediately brought to mind the tropics. It was well balanced, and the alcohol seemed more subdued, a nice accent rather than overpowering. I could easily picture myself, lying on the beach, and enjoying several of these cocktails. Congratulations to Sean!
In
Second Place, as well as my own second choice, was the
Marcy's Playground cocktail created by
Matt Tetrault of
Wusong Road. Chocolate flavors played an important role in this cocktail, balanced with sweet and bitter notes. Complex and tasty, it possessed bolder flavors and it's something I'd enjoy mostly after dinner, an accompaniment to dessert.
The other contestants included
Ben Meahl, of the
Somerset Club, with his
The Good Ship Appleton cocktail. Topped with whipped cream and pineapple, this was the simplest of the five cocktails, but it was a pleasant drink, and the addition of the Calvados was a nice choice.
Anissa Santiago, of
Bootleg Special, presented a
Mai Sweet Jerk, a spicy frozen cocktail which left you with a nice, spicy-hot aftertaste rather than presenting that heat on your initial sip. The other flavors of the cocktail showed well, although I think it might have benefited from a bit more sweetness, to better balance out the cocktail.
Graeme Piette, of
Spy Bar, created the
Day-O (Banana Boat) cocktail. My favorite element of this cocktail was the foam atop it, made with absinthe orange vanilla angostura. It was a delicious and unique taste. The rest of the cocktail was pleasant too, with nice spice notes.
Many thanks to Curtis for inviting me to be a judge, as well as to the five skilled contestants for exhibiting their mixology skills. It was a fun and tasty night, and the guests that evening seemed to enjoy themselves very much.
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