Vikram K.U
from Blue Bar, Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi walks away with the grand prize of a
guided tour to the Jack Daniel and Woodford Reserve distilleries in U.S.A
Vikram
K.U from Blue Bar, Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi emerged as the winner of the
inaugural edition of the North American Whiskey Cocktail Championship held in
India. As the grand prize winner, Vikram will now be going on a guided tour to
the iconic Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and the Woodford
Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky. Vikram impressed the judges with
his innovatively crafted recipe “The Amazing Grace” which was made with walnut
and fig infused Woodford Reserve, spice syrup, homemade spice bitters and
homemade lemon bitter.
Vikram was visibly elated after his triumph and said “I am thrilled to win such a prestigious
competition and am really looking forward to visit the Jack Daniel’s and
Woodford Reserve distilleries for a glimpse into the making of these fine
whiskeys. I have really worked hard and put in a lot of effort in creating my
recipe, which is inspired from the inherent flavors of Woodford Reserve
complemented by local Indian spices. I thank Brown-Forman for giving me such a
great platform and opportunity to showcase my skills."
The final 15 participants were shortlisted from across India
with representation from multiple cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune,
Gurgaon, Bangalore and Chennai. All the shortlisted cocktails were original
recipes created by the participating mixologists.
The North American Whiskey Cocktail Championship
involved a multi-stage selection process. In the first round, participants were
asked to submit an original cocktail recipe using Woodford Reserve, Gentleman
Jack or Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, and it saw participation from over 230
bartenders across the country. 89 entries were shortlisted for the second
round, which were then judged on the basis of creativity, balance, presentation
and consumer acceptance to arrive at the final 15.
In the final round held today in New Delhi, these chosen 15
finalists presented their recipes live in front of the judges. The four member
panel comprised of Vikram Achanta, Co-Founder and CEO of Tulleeho; Vaibhav
Singh, Founder, Perch Wine & Coffee Bars; Jay Malik, Senior Brand Manager -
MENA, Brown-Forman and Vineet Agrawal, Head of Marketing - India Area,
Brown-Forman.
Speaking on the championship, Vineet Agrawal, Head of
Marketing, India Subcontinent and Maldives, Brown-Forman Worldwide LLC
said, “While
having whiskey straight up is certainly one of the most traditional ways to
consume it, whiskey cocktails have also been a part of popular culture for a
very long time. In fact, some references state the classic Old Fashioned
cocktail is so old that it was called an Old Fashioned even 100 years ago! As
more and more Indians travel the world, they are seeking experiences which are
authentic and have a legacy of craftsmanship. The increasing availability of
whiskey based cocktails in popular bars in urban centres and key metros are
bringing this experience closer to the consumer than ever before. We are happy
that we could provide a credible platform for these talented mixologists
to experiment and create unique recipes using our American Whiskies and
showcase them to a wider audience. We received overwhelming participation from
mixologists across the country and are thrilled to see the enthusiastic
response from everyone.”
He added, “The jury
was impressed with the creativity demonstrated by the participants and the
innovative presentation techniques on display. The talent showcased promises a
great future for the cocktail culture in India. While it wasn’t an easy task to
pick the winner, Vikram was the deserving winner of the first North American
Whiskey Cocktail Championship”
***
About Brown-Forman Corporation:
For
more than 145 years, Brown-Forman Corporation has enriched the experience of
life by responsibly building fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s & Cola, Jack Daniel’s
Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel’s
Single Barrel, Finlandia, Korbel, el Jimador, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester,
Canadian Mist, Herradura, New Mix, Sonoma-Cutrer, Early Times, Chambord,
BenRiach and GlenDronach. Brown-Forman’s brands are supported by nearly 4,600
employees and sold in approximately 160 countries worldwide. For more
information about the company, please visit http://www.brown-forman.com/.