Chilled Magazine and Lustau Announce Winners of Stand Out Cocktail Competition

Chilled Magazine and Lustau teamed up for the most exciting cocktail competitions of the summer, and the four grand prize finalists have been chosen!

After hundreds of cocktails submitted over a three month period, the entrants were narrowed down to 16 first round semi-finalists, then eight second round finalists. Judging the first two rounds were Ivy Mix, Tom Richter and Steven Dragun, done at the infamous Leyenda Brooklyn Cocteleria.

The final round was then judged at Holy Mountain Bar in San Francisco, where owners Troy Bayless and Chris Aivaliotis hosted the event and were in charge of mixing the cocktails. Judging was done by Kimberly Rosselle (Bar Manager at Trick Dog), Jonny Raglin (Director of Bars, The Absinthe Bar), and Camper English (Cocktail Journalist – Academics.com).

The four grand prize winning cocktails chosen are as follows (See below for full recipe):

• Terra Firma by Christopher Day
• The Stowaway by Anthony Parks
• The Retired Explorer by Chad Phillips
• Sage Advice by Sam Treadway

The chosen four have won an exclusive trip to Spain to visit Lustau where they will have a chance to mix up their drinks for the Lustau family at a private dinner. One drink will be crowned the grand prize and will be awarded $1,000!

Congratulations to the winners and thank you all for entering the Lustau Solera Stand Out Cocktail Competition!

TERRA FIRMA

Recipe by Christopher Day

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 oz. Lustau Solera Reserva
• 1/2 oz. Clement Select Barrel Rhum
• 1/2 oz. Tempis Fugit Creme de Noyaux
• 1/2 oz. Lustau Moscatel Emilín
• 1/4 oz. Cynar
• 2 dash Angostura Bitters

Prep Instructions: Build all ingredients in a chilled mixing glass and stir with cracked ice to reach proper chill and dilution. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora. Express lime oil over the top and garnish with the twist.

Garnish: Lime peel

Glassware: Nick and Nora/Coupe

Cocktail Inspiration: The name, ingredients and flavor profile of this drink were inspired by my appreciation for how the land, climate, and even culture responsible for growing the crops which we cultivate and consume influence the outcome. From the sugar cane plantations in Martinique, to the agave fields in Jalisco, and – of course – the bodegas in Jerez; terroir plays such a tremendously important role in shaping the flavors and richness of all the well-crafted spirits we use and sometimes take for granted.

The Terra Firma is my homage to the soil that all this beautiful booze comes from and uses two very region-dependent and culturally important spirits as its base and – in it’s flavor profile – also tries to encompass both the soil and the flora that grows from it. The agricole accents the dry, already earthy notes of the brandy with a hint of that tell-tale vegetal sweetness. These rich flavors are amplified by the bold yet bright body of both the moscatel and noyaux, but brought back down to earth – pun intended – by the bitter chlorophyll of Cynar.

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THE STOWAWAY

Recipe by Anthony Parks

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva
• 3/4 oz. Fresh Carrot Juice
• 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon
• 1/2 oz. Lustau Amontillado Sherry
• 1/2 oz. Eggwhites
• 1/2 oz. Coriander Syrup
• 1/4 tsp. Cynar

Preparation: Build all ingredients into a shaker tin, dry shake vigorously to emulsify the egg whites. Add ice and shake a second time for 15-20 seconds. Fine strain into a cocktail coupe, express lemon oils on top of the cocktails, garnish with a manicured lemon spiral, suspended on the rim of the glass

Garnish: Lemon Spiral

Glassware: Cocktail Coupe

Cocktail Inspiration: The Stowaway was inspired by the Sherry Trade. I was intrigued by the rich history and development of sherry and the connections it has made around the world. I wanted to bring a rustic, earthy quality to the drink, spiked with a strong backbone from Brandy de Jerez. This drink should feel decedent and rich, like early imbibers may have felt, drinking a glass of Sherry in the eighteenth century.

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THE RETIRED EXPLORER

Recipe by Chad Phillips

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Gran Reserva
• 1/4 oz. Kalani Coconut Liqueur
• 1 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 1 oz. Espresso Syrup*
• 1 dash Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters

Preparation:

Espresso Syrup

Equal parts espresso and white sugar in a saute pan, reduce on medium low heat for 30 minutes. Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and shake. Double strain into an Irish Coffee Glass.

Garnish: 3 drops Chocolate Bitters, 1 Mint Leaf

Glassware: Irish Coffee Glass

Inspiration: Lustau has always been the benchmark against with all other brandies are compared, in my opinion. If I was traveling the world, it is the brand I would take with me to enjoy at the end of my day. With that in mind, I took Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Gran Reserva from Spain, Kalani Coconut Liqueur from Mexico, fresh pineapple (originally from South/Central America), and espresso from Italy to create a drink that one might enjoy while retiring for the evening and recounting all of their travels through the taste of each ingredient.

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SAGE ADVICE

Recipe by Sam Treadway

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Lustau Solera Reserva Brandy
• 1/2 oz. Lustau Fino Sherry
• 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz. Orgeat (I Make My Own, but Giffard’s Works)
• dash of Berg & Hauck’s Celery Bitters
• tiny pinch of Maldon Sea Salt (Few Flakes)
• 3 Sage Leaves

Preparation: Shake all ingredients with ice, double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish: A Single Sage Leaf

Glassware: Nice Stemmed Cocktail Glass

Inspiration: Sipping the Lustau Brandy on it’s own, I’m reminded of sweet and salty sherry. The depth of fruit flavor balanced with wood and ocean leaves you craving another sip. Oddly I was mentally transported to an odd little library located near the docks where my dad used to keep his sail boat. The smell of sea salt, mixed with a charming cozy library. It made me think of a time my dad sat me down (as he is want to do because he’s a psychologist by profession) and lectured me on boat safety before we went on a grand sailing adventure. He told me the warnings his grandfather gave him, of respecting the ocean and always be aware of your surroundings. This memory of my dad’s sage advice led me to develop this cocktail. I wanted to create a drink that enhanced the savory flavors of the brandy and that paid hommage to Spain, the ocean, and it’s surroundings.