Patrón Tequila has begun its “Search for 2018’s Margarita of the Year.” Now in its fourth year, the cocktail contest features new recipes from seven competing bartenders from across the globe.
Fans can vote once daily for their favorite recipe. The drink which receives the most votes will be announced on Cinco de Mayo. The 2018 cocktails and bartender competitors include:
- “La Margarita” with lychee and chia seeds, by Jorge Ortega in Los Angeles
- “Mediterranean Margarita” with orange marmalade and sherry, by Yanaida Prado in Barcelona, Spain
- “North End Margarita” with tomato and thyme, by Stephen King in Boston
- “Passion Fruit Margarita” with passion fruit and jalapeño, by Aaron Joseph in Baltimore
- “Salted Plum Margarita” with plum and lemon, by Morita Masako in Osaka, Japan
- “Skyline Margarita” with cayenne-chili and blackberry shrub, by Megan Radke in Seattle
- “Verde Margarita” with celery and elderflower, by José Luis León in Mexico City
“I’m excited to taste the recipes that each of this year’s bartenders created for the chance to be named the 2018 Patrón Margarita of the Year,” says Riesler Morales of Mexico City, whose red wine and hibiscus-infused “Coralina Margarita” was selected as last year’s Margarita of the Year. “I love seeing the ingredients and inspiration the bartenders draw from their local regions to craft truly imaginative recipes – each one definitely has what it takes to wow margarita drinkers around the world.”
Beyond tasting each of these recipes at their respective bars across the globe, consumers also have opportunity to explore each of the margaritas at home.
“Margaritas and Chill” kits are available for purchase while supplies last via online delivery service Cocktail Courier for those looking to perfect their home bartending skills; each one will include all necessary ingredients and garnishes for each of the seven recipes. Additionally, each recipe and instructional tutorials are available on the Patrón Cocktail Lab experience and the Margarita of the Year website, which features videos and interviews from the participating bartenders (filmed recently at the Hacienda Patrón distillery in Jalisco, Mexico). The site contains downloadable recipe cards as well as education about the history and evolution of this famous cocktail.
Fans can visit the website to explore each of the unique margarita recipes, then easily vote for their favorite interpretation once per day until the search comes to an end. Consumers will also be invited to vote live at various Patrón-sponsored events over the coming months. Digital votes will be accepted through:
- MargaritaOfTheYear.com, once daily, through May 5, 2018 (voting closes at 3 a.m. EST)
- Instagram and Twitter, by hashtagging the name of the margarita
- YouTube, a “thumbs up” on a YouTube video about a specific margarita
- Sharing content across channels (shares, re-tweets, and pins about specific margaritas all equal one vote each)