elit Vodka today announced the U.S. winners of its 2017 art of martini competition.
Participating bartenders created avant-garde interpretations of the classic cocktail using elit Vodka as the main spirit and showcasing a local ingredient. For two months, bartenders promoted their cocktail in their bars or restaurants to test its popularity with the public before each city competition, where five regional finalists and their martinis were judged by three spirits industry experts.
The following bartender won for their city:
- Dallas – Trevor Landry, DISH restaurants
- Las Vegas – Sarah Rith, The Dorsey at The Venetian
- Los Angeles – Mike West, The Cannery Newport Beach
- Miami – Seth Weinberg, Fontainebleu Miami Beach
- New York – Amanda Toar, One One Four Bar & Lounge at The Marmara Park Avenue
The next stage of the competition will welcome all city winners to present their cocktails, vying for world’s most artistic martini.
The global semifinal and final will take place between September 22-24 in Ibiza. City winners will have the opportunity to “elevate their bartending skills to new levels, including mentoring sessions with a world-class chef and showcasing their works of cocktail mastery using a variety of multi-sensory effects,” the company says.
The winner of the Grand Finale will showcase their winning cocktail at the Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans.
“Reinventing such an iconic cocktail is no easy mission, but each of these bartenders created sheer works of art from the taste experience through to stunning presentations,” says Brent Lamberti, luxury spirits sales director for Stoli Group USA. “The judges were impressed with their original choice of ingredients and the way the unique flavors complemented the ultra-luxury notes of elit Vodka.”
