Indoggo Reveals Top 10 Finalists in Indoggo Challenge

After countless hours of rigorous judging, Indoggo has announced the 10 bartenders moving forward to the next round.

Each bartender created a unique, original cocktail demonstrating the versatility and quality of Indoggo Gin. Chilled is very excited to share the top ten finalists, along with their cocktails and inspiration.

Judges Hector Diaz – INDOGGO Senior Brand Manager of Prestige Beverage Group, Wendy Hodges – Chilled 100 National Director, Keenan Towns – Co-Founder of Trusted Spirits, LLC., and Snoop Dogg will have their work cut out for them narrowing it down to the final three.

Congratulations to the finalists!

Cali Sour

Recipe by Shaun Gordon

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 oz. Indoggo Gin
• 1/4 oz. Pineapple Liqueur
• 3/4 oz. Fresh Lemon
• 3/4 oz. Honey/Ginger Syrup
• Egg White​
• 1/2 oz. 19 Crimes “Cali Red” Wine Float

Inspiration: My cocktail follows in the steps of Tha Doggfather himself, who is a master of re-invention. My goal was to take the essence of three easy sippin’ classic cocktails (Penicillin, New York Sour, Gin & Juice) and reinvent them into an all-new, delicious modern classic that will be around for decades to come.  The “Cali Sour” is just as laid back as the state of California and will have you wanting more, your friends wanting one too, and in the words of Snoop Dogg – “It ain’t no fun if your homies can’t have none”

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Drink It Like It’s Hot​

Recipe by Tim Weigel 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Indoggo Gin​
• 3 dashes Scrappys Firewater Bitters​
• 1/4 oz. Lime Juice​
• 3/4 oz. Basil Syrup​
• 1 oz. Cucumber Juice​
• ​Top with Fever Tree Yuzu/Lime soda water ​

Inspiration: Snoop’s song, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” serves as inspiration for this cocktail. The lyrics reflect my bartending mantra of “keeping it cool” no matter the situation. Even at the busiest moments of bar service, I firmly believe it is important to remain calm so you can be, as efficient as possible, conduct quality service, and have a long-lasting bar career. In the chorus of “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” Snoop goes through several situations where he plays it cool and it flows so perfectly with the sweet background track.​
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Typically, spicy cocktails are reserved for agave-based spirits, but the strawberry flavor within Indoggo flows with the spiciness, pairs with the cooling characteristics of the cucumber, and herbal-ly influenced basil syrup. Citrus notes of yuzu and lime round out the brightness of the vibrant green colors. “So if the spiciness tries to get at you, drink it like it’s hot!” ​

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The Pimp’s Cup ​

Recipe by Taylor Lax

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Indoggo Gin​
• 3/4 oz. Martini Fiero Coconut Oil Washed ​
• 1/2 oz. Blue Curacao ​
• 1/4 oz. Lemon Grass Simple​
• 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice​
• Top with 3 oz. Q Mixer Ginger Ale ​

Inspiration: After trying Indoggo, my first thought was to incorporate it with a classic Pimms cup. It’s an old-school cocktail that has always been a favorite of mine during the warmer months. With strawberry gin as the base, I found myself landing on notes of refreshing lemongrass and coconut. This paired well with the sweet, crisp flavors of orange and ginger that also played a part in this cocktail variation. ​
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Inspired by Snoop’s branding, the Pimp’s Cup is represented with a cannabis leaf garnish and a bold color that’s sure to make you say after the first sip, “Fo shizzle my nizzle.”

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Swizzle My Nizzle​

Recipe by David Leon

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. INDOGGO Gin
• 3/4 oz. Blackberry Black Pepper Shrub ​
• 3/4 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 1/4 oz. Lime Juice

Inspiration: The inspiration for my cocktail comes from a couple of things, one of them being the constant hustle that the BIPOC community go through in the US, as they are consistently needing to work two to three times as hard. As a result, it can take a massive toll on us, so it’s important that we take time to treat ourselves – I know that Snoop Dogg himself knows a thing or two about keeping his mind on his money and his money on his mind. Additionally, I wanted to remind people that we can make tropical inspired gin cocktails too, so by adding an indulgent fruit such as blackberry, black pepper, lime, and pineapple – I can help highlight those delicious strawberry notes that you get from INDOGGO, reminding you that this gin is the star of the show!

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The B-Side​

Recipe by Zach McGrath

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. INDOGGO Gin​
• 1 1/2 oz. Coconut Cream ​
• 1 1/2 oz. Banana Purée​
• 1/2 oz. Banana Liqueur​
• 1 oz. Cinnamon Syrup​
• 1/4 oz. Citric Acid Solution​

Inspiration: While figuring out how to remix this gin into a delicious cocktail, I started thinking of the drink in terms of a classic 90s cassette tape. If the flavors in the gin were the A-side tracks, with strawberry being the breakout single, what were the flavors on the B-side?​
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The B-Side cocktail blends the strawberry flavor of the gin with the harmonious flavors of coconut, banana, and cinnamon. The addition of the citric acid balances out the inherent sweetness of the ingredients without changing the flavor profile the way lemon or lime juice would.​
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Simply put, if this cocktail were an album, it would be sure to go platinum.

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Sweater Bikini ​

Recipe by Michael Vander Horn

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Indoggo Gin​
• 1 oz. Shipwrecked Coconut Rum​
• 3/4 oz. Lime Juice​
• 3/4 oz. Cinnamon Simple Syrup (1:1)​
• 1/4 oz. Cream of Coconut​
• Absinthe Rinse ​

Inspiration: As a full-time resident of the Jersey Shore, I am always caught between the feelings and vibe of summertime fun and excitement and the comfort and warmth of home. The Sweater Bikini cocktail captures the balance between the two, exemplifying in its simplicity the two worlds I live in. The strawberry coconut and lime all dance on the palate in promise of summer fun and tropic excitement, while the cinnamon, nutmeg, absinthe, and cream balance with the coziness of home in any season to create a feeling of complete welcome, from the first sip that sparks thoughts of sunny beaches to the last that evokes the comforts of home. The nutmeg and absinthe instantly hit your nose, almost promising an eggnog-esque drink with the cream on top, but the first sip disabuses you of that notion as soon as the lime and coconut hit the tongue. The split base allows the strawberry of Indoggo to intertwine with the lime and the coconut, while the cinnamon syrup brings you right back home after your day trip to the beaches. Perfect for the duality of those who live and work where most only visit and play.

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The Dogg Whistle​

Recipe by Alex Koblan

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Indoggo Gin​
• 1 oz. Strawberry Syrup​
• 1 oz. Pineapple Juice ​
• 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice​
• 6-8 Basil Leaves ​
• 2 slices of Jalapeño ​

Inspiration: Need a spicy little sipper to get through the Dogg days of summer? This drink will be the perfect pairing featuring flavors of pineapple, lemon, and jalapeño. Strawberry purée acts to accentuate the fresh and fruity strawberry notes highlighted in the Indoggo Gin itself. And you know there has to be some herb involved – get green by shaking in some fresh basil. Lay back like the OG you are and enjoy a sip of this refreshingly modern take on a gin and juice.

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Young, Wild & Free​

Recipe by Jesse Hubbard

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Indoggo Gin​
• 1/2 oz. Falernum​
• 1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc​
• 3/4 oz. Pineapple-Strawberry syrup​
• 1/2 oz. Lime​
• 2 dashes Tiki bitters ​

Inspiration: Snoop has been, and continues to be, a huge inspiration to me artistically for as far back as I can remember. When creating this cocktail, I looked at one of my favorite songs of his in Young, Wild & Free. That song makes me simply feel happy, and like big things are ahead for me as I listen to the positivity that shines out of it. I wanted to make this cocktail look and taste like that song makes me feel. It’s bright, sweet, and well balanced and the perfect companion to Snoop’s incredible catalog of legendary music.

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Living Aloha​

Recipe by Nadine Medina

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 oz. Lemongrass infused Indoggo Gin​
• 1/4 oz. Aperol​
• 1 oz. Orchid Strawberry Simple syrup​
• 1/2 oz. Makrut Lime juice​
• 1/2 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice​
• 1 3/4 oz. Chilled Summertime Sherbet Tea by Nobili Tea​
• 3 dashes Rhubarb Bitters​
• 1 oz. Egg White ​

Inspiration: Indoggo Strawberry Gin reminded me of summertime, growing up in Hawaii as a kid having fresh vibrant flavors, such as lemongrass and fresh fruits. Orchid flowers were always part of the normal environment for us, so using edible things around us for sustainability was part of our everyday life. I have made orchid syrup many times and it comes with a beautiful, floral but attractive flavor. I decided that adding fresh muddled strawberries macerating with the orchid syrup would be like an “all in one basket.” Letting the flowers sit in the syrup for a few days gives the syrup a gorgeous color naturally.​
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I wanted the Indoggo to be enhanced, even through all the components in this drink. I tested to ensure that the strawberry gin would always shine through with different levels of flavor while the egg white gives texture and smoothness to the drink.  ​
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With the syrup, the basket was easy to make to hold the flower, strawberries, and Makrut Lime leaves, so if dropped in the cocktail, the flavors will still be prominent.

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Sippin’ on Gin and Treuse

Recipe By Riane Stanley and Hilary Post  

Ingredients: 

• 1 oz. Indoggo Gin  
• 1 oz. Carpano Bianca  
• 1/2 oz. Basil Simple Syrup  
• 1/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse  
• 2 dashes Orange Flower Water  

Inspiration: We love taking the classics and giving our own spin to them. This drink is a riff off a White Negroni. We wanted to create a complex, yet refreshing drink that could be enjoyed by many, including the Gs of bartending. Indoggo Gin takes this classic and packs it full of flavor that will pleasantly surprise you. Our garnish was inspired from the “budding” relationship between Snoop and Martha Stewart, bridging the cocktail world and the CBD world. The name comes from one of Snoop’s classics, Gin and Juice, we just added some bartenders’ flare to the name! We are confident that our Sippin’ on Gin and Treuse (and CBD gummies) will have you laid back.