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Best Mixologist of the Pacific Northwest
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Competition Written Test
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Competition Shake-Off

The Best in the Pac West will test a mixologist’s knowledge, taste, showmanship and craft as the region’s best mixologists compete for the title. Mixologists working in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California are eligible to enter.

The competition will start on the first day with a written test comprising of 75 questions about spirits, cocktails and mixology history with all answers being cross referenced from today’s latest publications. Each question will be marked accordingly and tabulated towards your final score.

We will then move onto the tasting round where you will blind taste 5 spirits from different categories in attempt to correctly answer what brand and style each one is. Ten marks will be scored for each correct guess.

The final round on the second day of the festival is a two part show down. You have 7 minutes on stage to create 5 cocktails (4 for the judges, 1 for the audience) of your choosing using the theme ingredient of cedar. You will not only be marked on the final taste of your cocktail but there will be a mark on showmanship, education of the crowd and the judges and how you handle yourself behind the bar.

In the event that we have more than 15 entrants, the top scorers from the first two rounds will proceed to the final stage battle. In the event of a tie, there will be a sudden death showdown, no rules, and no hold bars mix off where anything goes.

The judges' decision is final and will have no contest.

Prizes to be Announced

Mail entries to sip at artofthecocktail.ca. Due to demand the deadline has been extended to Wednesday, November 4th 2009.
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ROUNDS

WRITTEN TEST
– a 75 question test that spans, spirit, cocktail and mixology knowledge. The allotted time is 45 minutes. A total of 100 points for this event.

TASTING PANEL
– 5 spirits from different categories, all readily available in Canada will be tasted. A total of 50 points for this event.

MIX OFF
– The mix off will follow the international guidelines set out by the IBA and are as follows. You cocktail creation will be worth up to 50 points.

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THE COMPETITION

• The Best in the Pacific North West is open to all bartenders throughout the Pacific North West including areas in Alberta.
• Each cocktail is allowed a maximum of 6 ingredients including dashes of bitters etc. Garnishes are not an ingredient.
• The cocktail should utilise the theme ingredient of cedar as much as possible.
• Competitors shall compete in a Preliminary that consists of several heats. If there are more than 15 entrants, competitors will compete in a knock out basis. The final 15 will compete in the finals on the main stage.
• Competitor’s cocktail with the highest score in the Finals would be proclaimed the “Best in the Pacific North West”, with 2nd highest score 2nd best, and 3rd highest score 3rd best.
• All decisions of the Judges shall be Finals.

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RECIPES

• The base content (volume of alcohol) of a cocktail’s recipe shall not exceed 75mL (2½ oz).
• Recipes shall be expressed in ounces or millilitres.
• Competitors must use their own bar utensils to prepare the cocktail.
• A list of supplied spirits will be listed closer to the event, all other ingredients will be supplied by competitor.
• Glassware will be provided by the competitor.

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INGREDIENTS

• The main ingredient should be something that involves cedar as the theme.
• Dairy products shall consist only of milk, cream and eggs.
• Homemade - or self-made ingredients, or the blending of few ingredients to be counted as one (1) ingredient.
• Any substitutions and questionable ingredients in a competitor’s original recipe must have the approval of the Judging Committee before approval.

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FORMAT

• The sequence of competitor s in the Preliminary and Finals shall be on a draw lot basis. The drawing for the sequence shall be done prior to the start of the Preliminary and Finals after the last (morning) briefing.
• Each competitor shall be limited to six (7) minutes for mixing cocktails. Competitor that exceeds the time limit will be penalised by the Technical Jury.
• The total score of the preliminary heats will be added to the score of the final round.

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COMPETITORS - MIXING PANELS

• One competitor will compete at a time for the judges and the crowd. Each competitor will bring the required garnishes and his/her own utensils on stage.
• When the competitors have set out, and displayed the ingredients and bottles, they shall await for the signal from the judges to begin mixing. When any competitor has finished his/her cocktails, he will place them in front of the judges.
• The stations will be cleaned and set up for the next panel of competitors.
• This procedure will continue throughout the heats.
• In the finals, each competitor will prepare five (5) cocktails according to recipe. Of these, four (4) cocktails will be used for judging (tasting). The 5th cocktail will be put on display for public viewing.

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JUDGING

• The judging panel will consist of mixologist, distillers and TV celebrities.
• They will be given score cards with a point system as well as penalising points as well.
• The judges will be marking you on cocktail creativity and taste as well as poise and showmanship behind the bar.
• They can ask you questions throughout the demonstration.

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SCORING
The Cocktail Competition’s scoring shall be tabulated as follows:

SHOWMANSHIP AND STYLE

• Showmanship will be judged on five main points.
• Engaging the judges and audience with what you are doing.
• Educating the judges and audience at why & how you are doing it.
• Showing your style and finesse that you have behind your bar normally.
• Connecting with judges and audience as if they were customers. ‘
• How you construct the cocktail.
• Competitors will be judged on Efficiency when preparing the cocktail at the final round.
• The judges will be watching and marking you on your style when you are preparing your cocktail.
• This element of the competition will be marked as a total of 20 points.

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PENALITIES

• There will be penalties in the finals which will be marked by a separate party from the judges as part of the scoring.

• Marks are deducted based on mistakes made and inefficiency in executing certain task.

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