Joe Brooke from Hedonist in Leeds and Anton Windmar from The Artesian in London have won the opportunity to represent the UK at the Hernö Gin Cocktail Awards 2019.
Hernö Gin Cocktail AwardsTaking place at the Hernö Gin Distillery in Dala, The High Coast of Sweden, on the 24th August, the awards will see the UK winners shake off against leading mixologists from around the world.
The most awarded gin distillery in Europe since 2013, Hernö has been running its unique cocktail awards since 2016.
This year over 50 bartenders from around the UK entered the competition with the theme ‘create a cocktail to express your backyard’ once again helping to drive real innovation, creativity and excitement.
The UK winners will receive a once-in-a-lifetime, all expenses paid experience, where they can show off their skills at the home of Hernö and explore a new world of cocktails with the planet’s best bartenders.
Anton Windmar’s winning entry was called Urban Forager and featured dandelion root and pineapple weed, while Joe Brooke’s was created in memory of his grandfather and made with a homemade cherry cordial.
Johan Wester, Hernö Gin Cocktail Awards Manager said:
“A massive congratulations to Anton and Joe who seriously impressed with their imaginative entries. The awards are all about pushing boundaries and creativity to the max so we’re delighted the backyard brief generated some top-class drinks. We can’t wait to welcome Anton and Joe to the High Coast of Sweden for a truly unforgettable experience.”
Hernö started back in 1999 when Jon Hillgren headed to London together with a few friends to start working as bartenders. He quickly discovered gin and instantly fell in love with it.
During the years that followed, Jon’s passion for the drink evolved into gin crafting, and after numerous gin tastings, academic studies and technical visits to distilleries around the world, Jon finally founded the Hernö Gin Distillery in 2011. At the time, it was Sweden’s first dedicated gin distillery and the world’s northernmost gin distillery.
The distillery is located in the village of Dala just outside the City of Härnösand in Ångermanland, Sweden. All part of the UNESCO world heritage area called The High Coast of Sweden, it is an area of real natural beauty.
Jon takes inspiration from this beauty to create a truly organic, artisan gin with the finest botanicals. To stay true to its Swedish heritage, the distillery is built in a traditional Swedish manor in wood painted in red and white.
Hernö is now available in 25 countries around the world and between 2012-17, Hernö was the most awarded gin in Europe. British Airways’ in-flight magazine ‘Highlife’ describes it as the best distillery in the world to taste gin.
Jon Hillgren was recently inducted into the Gin Hall of Fame.