20 Mixologists Compete at The Made with Love Cocktail Competition 2015

Made with Love 2015, the national mixology competition which has been running for the past four years, held its Toronto finals at the Liberty Grand.

Twenty-one competitors from the best bars and restaurants in Toronto all brought their “A game” to the event. It was a great opportunity to meet the top mixologists of Toronto and sample their creations.

The cocktails were all so very different in flavour. Many incorporated unique ingredients like ugly fruit in the Montego Bay Export Co. cocktail by Jake Valianes of Linwood Essentials, and buttermilk syrup and russian caravan black tea foam in the Butterface cocktail by Andrew Hunter of The County General (which was paired with crispy pig ears).

There were so many wonderful cocktails to sample including:
Mike Crispo (Soho House)’s Crisp Hard Italian Soda (Campari, carbonated water, blood orange juice, rosemary, acid phosphate, sea salt), Ger Cullen (Her Majesty’s Pleasure)’s It’s Been A Long Time Com’n (vodka, Chambord, lemon juice, pineapple juice, Celebration medley tea syrup, Bittered Sling bitters, Angostura bitters ,which was paired with jalapeño chaser), Ryan Desjardins (College Street Bar)’s Ceviche and Chong (1800 Vodka, house made sorel liqueur, pineapple spiced syrup, Campari dust rim, which was paired with blood orange ceviche)

Guests had the chance to vote for their favourite cocktail and the winning concoctions were:

First Place – Nick Incretolli (The Urban Tavern on George)’s Love in Milan (milk-washed Campri, Pistachio orgeat, lemon juice, eucalyptus syrup, egg white, eucalyptus tincture rinse)

Second Place – Dan Tavares (Mr. Flamingo)’s Maria de Milano (Campari, rose water, grapefruit cordial, black pepper, carbonated water and cucumber)

Third Place- Jake Valianes (Linwood Essential)’s Montego Bay Export Co. (Appleton Estate V/X Rum, barrel aged banana liqueur syrup, ugli fruit, mauby, lime, coffee, pimento bitters)

Fourth Place – Andrès Marquez (Fonda Lola) ‘s El Mexican Sour (Disaronno, cold pressed roated lemon puree, cinammon maple syrup)

The judges, comprised of Adrian Stein (El Caballito), Dr. Andrew Toplack, Frankie Solarik (Barchef), Michael Mooney (Geraldine) and Nishantha Nepulongoda (Blowfish) also voted on their winning cocktails:

First Place – Dan Tavares (Mr. Flamingo)’s Maria de Milano
Second Place – Mike Fortier (Drake One Fifty)’s Rosa Primavera (Hendrick’s gin, rose and pink Campari, cucumber, wildflower cordial, Dillon’s Wormwood bitters)
Third Place – Alex James (Hopgood’s Foodliner)’s Brown Butter Derby (Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, brown butter, toasted apple shrub, egg white paired with Nutella dumpling by chef Geoff Hopgood )

(photos by Tanya)