By Amy Looker
Glenfiddich single malt Scotch whisky has launched an innovative new cocktail competition that will span both the on and off-premise sectors.
'The Pioneers' competition will search for Australia's most pioneering bartenders, Glenfiddich marketing manager, Mark Little revealed this week at a media launch held at the historic Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour.
Two winners will embark on an adventurous trip to Scotland including a visit to the Glenfiddich distillery, with third and fourth place winners going on an exploration of the Australian outback.
Little told journalists the competition is in the vein of Glenfiddich's previous cocktail competition The Untouchables, "so it's peer-judged and very transparent".
"What we want people to do is create two drinks, one being an easy to make drink using Glenfiddich 12 Year Old and the next one is to be their most pioneering creation using the Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Rich Oak or the Glenfiddich 15 Year Old," he said.
"The venues are tasked to put one of these drinks on their menu and run it over the July/August period. The reason why we have the selection of two cocktails is to tailor it towards all kinds of venues, from big venues that can only pour simple cocktails to your more cocktail-focused, smaller bars."
Once the recipes have been submitted, the cocktails will be made by one of William Grant & Sons whisky specialists, Owen Colin (pictured right) and James Tait (pictured below left) and judged blind by a panel of industry peers.
The top cocktails will be published in a cocktail booklet that will be released as a gift-with-purchase (GWP) with Glenfiddich 12 Year Old over the Christmas trading period.
"The really exciting part is that the top ten finalists will have their recipe, photo and venue details published in the GWP cocktail booklet, offering incredible exposure to the bartenders and a way to educate consumers on new ways to drink Glenfiddich."
In a move to engage the off-premise, the retailers who provide the best in-store support for the GWP will be in with a chance winning the outback adventure prize.
For more information on how to enter, email pioneers@glenfiddichcollective.com