Jefferson’s rolls out its challenge to more cities in the new Jefferson’s barrel aged cocktail competition, with Birmingham, Edinburgh and London battling it out. 2016 will be the second year of the competition, and leads the UK celebrations in the run-up to Jefferson’s 20th Anniversary next year. Already 30 invited bartenders have signed up for the heats hosted by Cellar Trends. Original cocktails using Jefferson’s Small Batch Bourbon will be judged after 45 days ageing in mini 5-litre American oak barrels. The overall winner will enjoy a trip to the home of Jefferson’s, Louisville USA, to join celebrations marking 20 years of Jefferson’s in 2017. For bourbon adventurers, Cellar Trends also releases sets of Jefferson’s Wood Experiment Collection 20cl flasks, which are the culmination of a four year project.
Trey Zoeller, Jefferson’s founder and master blender, will host the landmark 20th anniversary prize trip. The inspiration behind the barrel aged competition reflects the experimental proposition which is intrinsic to the character of all Jefferson’s creations. One of the brand’s most recent limited edition bottlings became established in the UK over 2016 – Jefferson’s The Manhattan Barrel Finished Cocktail. Another innovation – Trey Zoeller’s intrepid adventure to age whisky on the water – is The Jefferson’s Journey which recreates and celebrates bourbon’s first voyage.
Jefferson’s Wood Experiment Collection – In November 2016, Cellar Trends will launch these innovative sets in the UK, as the first international market. Over 20 months, Trey Zoeller selected fully matured 4yo straight bourbon whiskey and aged it in one of 13 different experimental environments, from extra-large toasted barrels to standard charred bourbon barrels or wine casks, with stave or cube inserts. Each resulting spirit has distinctive flavours, including ‘Southern Spice’ to ‘Cinammon Apple’. They are boxed in sets of five bottles of 20cl, with a selection of 5 of the 13 different experiments in each set.
The barrel aged cocktail competitions – Cellar Trends welcomes spectators.
Birmingham, 25 October, 2 to 5pm, The Bureau, 110 Colmore Row, B3 3AG
Edinburgh, 27 October, [time and Location to be confirmed]
The winner of each progresses to the London heat & final, 31 October, 12 to 3pm, Nola, 66 Rivington St, London EC2 3AY
The competing bars include:
Birmingham – Rub Smokehouse, The Edgbaston, The Church, Ginger’s Bar, The Bureau
Edinburgh – Tigerlily, Badger & Co, Tonic, No.8 Lister Sq (Edinburgh) / Porter & Rye, The Finnieston (Glasgow)…
London – MASH (Soho), Oskar’s bar/Dabbous (Fitzrovia), Victory Mansion (Dalston), Little Bat (Highbury), Three Six Six (Battersea)
Caroline Pihoue, Jefferson’s Brand Manager at Cellar Trends, adds, “Knowledge, experience and experimentation are very much part of the excitement of the Jefferson’s brand. We are delighted by the number of bartenders who have embraced this approach in the barrel aged cocktail competition. It very much reflects Jefferson’s own bold and innovative approach to blending and ageing. For the moment, we all just have to be patient and wait through the 45 days of ageing. Only each bartender is able to taste during the ageing period to see how their cocktail is evolving”