After four tense nationwide heats involving over 60 top bartenders from England and Scotland, the winner of the Sloane’s Gin ‘Twisted Traditions’ National Cocktail Competition has been announced as Robin Webb of 64th&Social in Clapham. Coming in a close second is runner-up Matteo Corsalini from recently launched 34 Restaurant in Mayfair and third place has been awarded to Ash Bovey from Sahara Bar in Reading. In addition to cash prizes, all three competitors will join Sloane’s Gin on a trip to Holland where they will visit the distillery and explore Amsterdam’s bar scene.
Taking place at recently opened ‘gin palace’ The Blacksmith and The Toffeemaker in Islington on 16 April 2012, competitors faced a tough panel of judges including Gary Sharpen from The Cocktail Lovers, Joel Harrison from Caskstrength, Simon Webster from BarlifeUK and Sloane’s brand ambassador Joel Constantino.
Unashamedly inspired by the great gins of the past, Sloane’s launched the competition to find the UK’s best cocktails based on the traditions around drinking culture. Robin Webb’s competition winning “Grandma Sloane’s Tea Time Tipple” certainly met the brief by marrying the British love of tea with floral notes and Sloane’s Gin. Moreover, Robin’s determination to win saw him ‘borrow’ his grandma’s best bone china teacups to present the drink and also make his own vanilla macaroons to accompany it.