Massenez and Cerbaco Distribution are once again hosting the Massenez Amuse Bouche Cocktail Competition, and entries close next week on Monday 22 May.
Competitors are asked to enter their own Massenez cocktail creation with an amuse bouche pairing.
“We wanted to celebrate our historical connection with gastronomy, as Massenez is an official partner of the Michelin Guide for Starred Restaurants this year in France,” said Marie Pottier, Massenez brand ambassador for Cerbaco Distributors.
Massenez was founded in 1870 in the Alsace, a region in north-eastern France. It has been primarily known for its fruit-forward eaux de vie, but since merging with Grandes Distilleries Peureux in 2010, Massenez has introduced 30 new flavours with eau de vie or cognac bases.
The winner will receive a one-week trip to France, including a trip to the Massenez distillery, and the opportunity to participate in the Berlin Bar Convent in October 2023.
“We can’t wait to see what creations our bartenders have come up with. It’s always an occasion to discover how innovative the industry can be with all our spirits and liqueurs. We also wanted to create this event to thank the people supporting our brand in Australia, by offering an interesting prize for the finalists and for the ultimate winner,” Marie added.
Former winners Tom Gibbs and Daniel Gregory will be among the judges for this year’s competition. Tom won the inaugural competition in 2020 and was finally able to travel to the Massenez distillery in Alsace, France, in 2022. Daniel won the My Whey Cocktail Competition, which was a collaboration between Massenez and Hartshorn. Bartenders were asked to create a cocktail utilising a Massenez spirit and a Hartshorn sheep whey spirit, paired with cheese, and Daniel presented a cocktail with the Golden 8 and oaked sheep whey vodka, paired with blue cheese.
The judging panel will also include Marie Pottier, and chef Dan Arnold, who himself has experience in Michelin starred restaurants.
To enter the competition, participants are asked to:
1: Make a Massenez Cocktail and Amuse Bouche
Using any of the Massenez spirits or liqueurs, craft a cocktail and accompanying amuse bouche. The cocktail must have a maximum of eight ingredients, not including the garnish, and contain at least 10mL of Massenez spirits or liqueur.
2: Post it on Instagram
Post a photo or video of the cocktail and amuse bouche, along with a full recipe of the cocktail. Utilise the hashtags #AmuseBoucheCocktailComp and #Massenez150 and follow and tag @massenez_au and @cerbaco. The Instagram account must be public during the judging period.
3: Recreate your cocktail for the judges
The six finalists will be asked to showcase their skills at the competition finale, held in Brisbane at Frog’s Hollow Saloon on 5 June.
In the first round, the finalists will have to recreate four servings of their entry cocktail within a 5-minute timeframe and serve it alongside their amuse bouche.
The final two contestants will be entered into the second round, where they will need to create a cocktail based on surprise ingredients in the Massenez Mystery Box.
Entries close on Monday 22 March.
