Even in lockdown the best bartenders are constantly looking to hone their skills and keep on top of the latest drinks trends which makes judging the London Spirits Competition even more important. Entries for the 2021 competition are open until February 26. Full entry details here.
We talk to three bar leaders about the trends they are seeing in spirits, cocktails and the wider drinks sector and why they personally want to take part in the London Spirits Competition.
Vitor Lourenco, head of bars Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa
Vitor Lourenco sees taking part in the London Spirits Competition as a key way of keeping up with and seeing some of the latest brands in the market
What is your background and how did you get into the drinks industry?
I was born and raised in Porto, Portugal and have been in the UK now for almost 10 years. After doing a degree in hotel management I have enjoyed fantastic experiences working for a number of five star hotels, major cruise liners and in great beach bars. I’m currently the head of bars at the Southampton Harbour Hotel & Spa.
Why do you want to be a judge in the London Spirits Competition?
It is an honour and privilege to have the opportunity to be part of this amazing competition that is bringing us some of the best drinks that we will be seeing in the future. Our industry is constantly being challenged and influenced by the most passionate and inspiring individuals and their drinks creations. It is a unique opportunity to be one of the first to experience them and I’m truly thrilled to be involved.
What makes it stand out and be different from other spirits competitions?
From day one you get fantastic and professional organisational support from the organiser of the competition. It is an accessible and powerful way to have your spirit tasted and judged by some of the most experienced and passionate professionals in our industry. They can also give you phenomenal and genuine feedback about your spirit.
The competition also gives you global coverage through the competition’s Beverage Trade Network and its Bevroute news platform, offering a potential tremendous media impact for your brand.
The competition is also unique in that it asks judges to assess products for their design and packaging – what do you look for in design and packaging as a bartender and what is most effective?
Being comfortable. For me, a comfortable bottle in the hand is the most important design for a bartender. Having a good ‘neck’ and being well-balanced between its size and weight is key – keep in mind the number of times during a shift that we grab a bottle from the speed rail or a shelf. We call it a ‘bartender friendly’ kind of bottle.
Vitor Lourenco is particularly impressed by the design and packaging for the new Mermaid Salt Vodka bottle and the Mermaid Gin bottle
Visually, the most appealing packaging are the ones that focus 100% on the environment and sustainability and yet are still super attractive and have a smart bottle design. The best example I can give is the Isle of Wight Distillery and its brilliant job with the Mermaid Gin or its new Mermaid Salt Vodka bottles.
How have you found lockdown and what have you been able to do to keep yourself up to speed?
Since this Lockdown 3.0 started, we took advantage, as a team, to design and develop our next cocktail menu and to look at some exciting future projects for our bar. It is crucial to keep ourselves positive and proactive in such challenging times. We also took the opportunity to be involved in some initiatives to support and keep our industry family together and stronger than ever.
What spirits and cocktail trends do you see coming to the fore when the lockdown is over?
We’ll definitely see the low and non-alcoholic beverage market grow even more. 2020 was a pleasant surprise as we saw a much wider range of quality products coming into this market across non-alcoholic spirits, aperitifs or even bitters. I am loving what we are getting to see. I also see bottled cocktails being a big thing during 2021.
Agave based spirits, tequila and mezcal, have been growing from strength to strength in the last two to three years, and I feel 2021 will be no different. Mezcal is becoming a serious player now in margaritas and negroni twists, which is great to see.
I also believe there is a trend towards ‘Less is more’ and returning to the minimalist, back to basics culture. It’ll be a year with high beverage standards, simplistic garnishes and pristine ice quality.
Unfortunately, the lockdown continues to keep our guests away from their favourite bars and cocktails around the globe.
Gary Burdekin, master bartnder at TGI Friday’s UK (was named TGI Friday’s UK Bartender Champion in 2018)
TGI Friday’s Gary Burdekin is always on the look out for the next big thing in spirits and cocktails by taking part in competitions
Why do you want to be a judge in the London Spirits Competition?
I think it’ll be a great experience for everyone involved. It’s exciting to see what the next big thing will be, and I will be able to get a first hand view at some amazing products that could be coming in to our industry in the near future.
What makes it stand out and be different from other spirits competitions?
The fact that not only is the spirit being judged, but the design and packaging too. It’s good to be able to give an overall opinion on a spirit. There’s been many times where I like the look of a bottle, but I’ll never buy it because of what’s inside. It singles out the ‘complete’ products from the rest.
What do you look for in design and packaging and find most effective?
Nikka from The Barrel is a classic example of how a simple design can be so effective, says Gary Burdekin
For less is definitely more. The quality inside the bottle should speak for itself and shouldn’t need to be coated in a fancy exterior that’s only going to drive up the price for consumers. The perfect example of ”less is more” that I can give is ‘Nikka From The Barrel‘. As a bartender, if I genuinely like the product, (no matter how expensive or inexpensive it may be) that will be the one I encourage my guests to try.
How have you found lockdown and what have you been able to do to keep yourself up to speed?
I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say I just want things to go back to ‘normal’ now. In the UK we seem to take one step forward then two steps back constantly, but I’m sure in a few months things will start to look a lot more promising.
I’ve been reading a lot this lockdown, Meehan’s Bartender Manual, Imbibe!, The Joy of Mixology just to name a few. I’m also following a lot of people in the drinks industry on social media so that helps keep me up to date with things going on.
What spirits, drinks and cocktail trends do you see coming to the fore when lockdown is over?
I think alcohol free drinks or low alcohol drinks will be more popular given the social distancing rules that will be in place. The gin craze isn’t going away any time soon, but I have seen more and more people getting interested in tequila and mezcal recently. Teremana and Dos Hombres have a huge part to play in that.
Daniel Susko, head of Bars at Annabel’s and The Birley Clubs
Daniel Susko likes the fact the London Spirits Competition is judged by his peers in the industry
Why do you want to be a judge in the London Spirits Competition?
It’s a sizeable platform that showcases brands and producers. It’s also a great opportunity to get ahead and be on the frontline of what is happening in the sector.
What makes it stand out and be different from other spirits competitions?
It has a wide spectrum of recognition, applicable for both on and off-trade. Spirits are judged by the industry, allowing for fair opinion to be shared.
It is unique in that it also asks judges to assess products for their design and packaging – what do you look for in design and packaging as a bartender and what is most effective?
Acknowledging not only taste and quality, but the appearance and design of the final product completes the feel of the brand as a whole. When it comes to packaging, it’s important it stands out and drives interest, but we need not to neglect convenience of use.
Clear and crisp information, meaningful design, lucid marketing and handy and easy to use bottling will get ahead
How have you found lockdown and what have you been able to do to keep yourself up to speed?
Lockdowns have been devastating for the industry, but they have also given those effected time to reflect, to better ourselves and spend time with loved ones. I have mainly kept myself busy with reading, doing some online courses and working out when possible.
What spirits, drinks and cocktail trends do you see coming to the fore when lockdown is over?
We have seen a substantial surge in delivery services of packaged and ready to drink products. These will continue to rise and gain market share. We will also see increased demand for cocktail sets and bar kits.
The low and no drinks category will continue to grow. Both in cocktails and brands that are able to offer competent products with lower ABV or ones that deliver on flavour with no hangover consequences.
Personally I would like to see whisky, as a category, getting all the limelight it deserves.
Judging Procedure
All spirits entered into the London Spirits Competition are organised into flights and then assessed in the following way:
- Initially all spirits are tasted blind to determine its quality. Where appropriate they will also be assessed by variety, style, region, and country.
- Judges will then be given a briefing document setting out the spirits’ price and target consumer and trade channel where it wants to be sold. Only then will judges be asked to give their score for quality based on the initial blind tasting and then additional knowledge about the spirits’ price and market position.
- The judges will then be handed the bottle or format for them to be able to assess, in detail, the design, label, and packaging and determine how well that matches up to, or complements the quality of the spirits and its price point.
- The judges will then discuss the spirits as a whole to help allocate scores in the three judging areas.
- The Gold winning spirits and all special category spirits will be re-tasted by the spirits judges on the re-judging day to ensure the scoring quality.
Judging dates
Judging will take place on March 17, 2021, at a central London venue. To be considered in the competition all products must be with Sensible Spirits Solutions by February 26, 2021.
Key Dates:
Registration Ends – February 22, 2021 (to register click here)
Warehouse Closes: February 26, 2021
Judging Date: March 17, 2021
Winners Announced: March 30, 2021
Fee Schedule:
£170 Regular – February 22, 2021
Enter your spirits brand today to get special pricing.
New: Quantity Discount Now Available
3 to 8 entries: 10% discount
9 to 13 entries: 15% discount
14 or more entries: 20% discount
