Hamish Smith of Jake’s Bar & Still in Leeds announced as the winner of Northern Restaurant & Bar’s annual cocktail competition, sponsored by Double Dutch Drinks.
Hamish Smith of Jake’s Bar & Still in Leeds was crowned winner of Northern Restaurant & Bar’s cocktail competition, sponsored by Double Dutch.
Each finalist was invited to Northern Restaurant & Bar in Manchester on Wednesday 22 March 2018 to present their two cocktails to the awaiting judging panel of Joyce and Raissa de Haas from Double Dutch. Hamish Smith of Jake’s Bar & Still in Leeds impressed the most his two creations, ‘Cool as Cumber, Cold as Chile’ and ‘Ume Kiss’
The four finalists, chosen by a blind judging panel of cocktail experts including founders Joyce and Raissa de Haas, were:
Mycol Cavalieri, Coco Tang, Nottingham
Leah Jones, Mr Coopers, Manchester
Thomas O’Connor, Silversmith’s Restaurant, Sheffield
Hamish Smith, Jakes’s Bar & Still, Leeds
Competitors had been asked to submit two unique drinks, a Summer style and a Winter style, containing any of the current Double Dutch Drinks range, and adding inspiration of the sparkling mixers Dutch heritage.
Hamish’s summer cocktail, ‘Cool As Cucumber, Cold As Chile’ saw him twist a cucumber ribbon around the inside of a hi-ball glass and fill it with frozen white grapes. Wagar Chilean Pisco, St Germain elderflower were added, then topped with Double Dutch Cucumber and Watermelon soda with a cucumber rose to garnish.
His Winter serve, named the ‘Ume Kiss’, saw an ice block filled with pomegranate seeds placed within a glass, topped with a combination of Remy Martin cognac, Umeshu plum sake and plum bitters. Double Dutch Basil and Pomegranate poured over and garnished with a dehydrated pomegranate slice completed his serve.
Hamish will be visiting Amsterdam later in the year as the guest of Double Dutch Drinks, which has previously been awarded Virgin Foodpreneur by Sir Richard Branson for most creative, inspiring and disruptive F&B start-up in the UK and Best Premium Adult Soft Drink at the World Beverage Innovation Awards in 2016.
Double Dutch offer unique flavours that revolutionise the world of beverages. Raised in the Netherlands, Double Dutch’s twin founders, Joyce and Raissa have a natural affinity with superlative drinks and excellent blending’s. Their love affair turned to frustration. While the world’s choice of spirits has continued to grow, mixers and sodas have remained bland, resulting in the Double Dutch love affair that unites great spirits with complementary mixers that enliven and enhance.
“The Perfect Twin for your spirit”
Northern Restaurant & Bar is the North’s hospitality exhibition, hosting 275 exhibitors providing every product and service a hospitality business needs along with 65 exciting live food & drink demos. NRB brings the entire Northern hospitality industry together for two days of networking, discovery and inspiration. The show’s Spirit Room is the largest curated selection of spirit brands on show outside London. As well as the Double Dutch Drinks cocktail competition, the Drinks Live theatre features a line-up of tutored tastings and masterclasses from some of the best names in the business.
NRB will return Manchester Central on 19-20 March 2019. Register your interest online at www.northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk
