Turns out Nottingham has a secret cocktail wizard who has created the next best thing in flavoured booze...
Jake Mellish, general manager of Hockley’s cocktail haven Boilermaker, has made it to the final of a competition which could see an unusual alcoholic creation come to stores near us next year.
The Gabriel Boudier Wizard competition calls for bartenders across the country to use their bonces to create an original and unique flavoured liqueur that is not currently on the market. The overall winner will see their booze launched and distributed throughout drinkeries in the UK in 2018.
After wowing the judges at the North regional final in October, Jake has bagged himself a place at the final in Dijon, France, in January and hopes his tonka flavoured tipple can take him all the way.
Tonka bean is an ingredient often used in French cooking as an alternative to vanilla, and folk say that it has aromas of cherry, honey, cinnamon and almond. There’s no other tonka liqueur on the market, with the only available alternatives being an in-house infusion, a Monin Syrup or an overproof spirit.
For the last fifteen months, Jake has been working hard to find the perfect recipe, and his final product is a ‘Crème de Tonka liqueur’ at 18% ABV.
At the grand final, his sweet bevvy will be going up against three other interesting flavours; mustard, chamomile and meadowsweet. Each finalist must showcase their special creation and demonstrate its use in a cocktail. Then, it’s down to the master drinkers of Gabriel Boudier to judge each recipe and decide which one is worthy of the prize. Best of luck to you, duck.
For more information about the competition, visit http://www.emporiabrands.com/boudierwizard/.
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