SHAKE THE FARM – SEMI FINALS

The semi-finals of our Shake the Farm Cocktail Competition are now complete and we are all set for the finals which will take place on Islay in September.

We were overwhelmed by the incredible levels of creativity and skills that candidates showcased across the competition.  Selecting only one bartender per heat to advance to the final stage was an extremely difficult task. Each contestant poured their heart and soul into creating a unique and meaningful drink, making it a delight to taste them all.

The competition rules were simple; bartenders across the UK were asked to create a drink that showcased Kilchoman Batch Strength alongside at least one British farmed or foraged ingredient. The brief resulted in an eclectic range of cocktails which was exactly what we were hoping for.

The first heat took place in Edinburgh where the bartenders each presented their cocktail creations. Tucked in Lady Libertine’s basement bar, the semi-finalists took us through the story behind their drink and explained the reasoning for their ingredient choices.  A wide variety of farmed and foraged ingredients were selected, and some truly ingenious methods were devised to use them.  We’ve seen all things from nettle infused vermouth to toasted oats and banana tea.

The one drink that stole the show was ‘Eidyn’ by Glenn Murray. His presentation was spotless and sprinkled with a lot of knowledge of Kilchoman. His creation was served with a side of crumble made up of all the byproducts of the cocktail ingredients, nothing was wasted.

The second heat took place in Manchester at the Whiskey Jar.  Everyone who took part in this heat had travelled from outside of the city so we salute their engagement and thank them for taking the time to come along and participate.

Choosing a winner was no easy task once again. From bone-marrow infused Batch Strength to brown butter and fig cream, we were served with an array of delicious cocktails made with “out of the box” ingredients.

But Alex Holmes’s drink, ‘The Play Barn’, really took us on a sensory journey. Who would have thought that a three ingredients cocktail could be so complex and so delicious! The story behind it was linked with Alex’s past so it was a very insightful trip down memory lane. Well done!

For the last leg of the semi-finals, we headed to Swift Borough in London.  Once again, we were left humbled by the levels of flair and creativity. We tasted hand-pickled strawberry brine, beetroot shrub, fig leaf and sweet woodruff soda… some of the ingredients were made with tools only scientists would normally use!

After much deliberation, the judges chose Kuba Korzynski’s drink, ‘Lil’ Love Affair’ as the winner. It was the combination of amazing ingredients used and great knowledge and presentation that made Kuba’s drink stand out.

Our finalists, Glenn, Alex and Kuba, will come to the distillery to compete in a final head-to-head cocktail making challenge to become the first ever Kilchoman Shake the Farm competition winner. The winner will then select an on-trade exclusive Single Cask which will bear their name and leave with a case of it!

If you fancy giving any of the winning cocktails a go yourself, here are the ingredients used …

Eidyn by Glenn Murray

35ml Kilchoman Batch Strength Whisky
25ml Brown Butter Avallen Calvados
25ml Apple, Bramble and Rhubarb infused Blossom Honey Syrup
70ml Rhubarb Honey Soda

The Play Barn by Alex Holmes

30ml Kilchoman Batch Strength
20ml Blackberry Leaf Liqueur
70ml Hay Soda

Lil’ Love Affair by Kuba Korzynski

30ml Kilchoman Batch Strength
25ml rhubarb turbo-cordial
15ml brioche liqueur
Dash wild horseradish distillate

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the bars that hosted us during the semi-finals and also the judges, Stefanie Anderson and Kat Stanley-Whyte who really helped us with their insights and experience.

We will update you on how the final goes in September!

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