Event Recap: Vine Arts Winter Cocktail Competition

For young professionals who pride themselves on classic cocktails, you know that brown liquor is super trendy right now… Vine Arts couldn’t agree more. 

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Vine Arts hosted an exclusive, and first-ever, cocktail competition at its store, which was sponsored by Beam Global. Pitting six of the city’s top restaurants and cocktail lounges – Anejo, Cilantro, Model Milk, Milk Tiger Lounge, Raw Bar, Ox and Angela, and Taste – against each other, competitors went head-to-head in this epic brown liquor battle.

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Each competitor was given brown liquor; this included Curxan Black Strap Rum, Courvousier VS and Laphroaig (a single malt scotch) with which to create an original cocktail. 

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Guests mingled and nibbled on snacks courtesy of the much-anticipated Brix & Morsel, as they met the talented bartenders and tasted the competitors’ creations. After sampling the cocktails, guests were encouraged to vote on their favourite creation, which was to be named Vine Arts’ official cocktail.

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Although each was a delight to experience, there could only be one winner and the honour was awarded to Matt LaRocque, of Taste Restaurant, for his bourbon cocktail called #Boom. Made up of a mixture of Knob Creek bourbon with a homemade red pepper simple syrup, lemon juice and ginger beer, it was a tart and sweet drink with just a touch of heat.

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Interested in indulging in one? The drink will be available at Taste for the next month.

Photos courtesy Evakaran Manickaraj