Wrapping up its #JustAddRhubi secret sauce challenge, Australian-made rhubarb aperitif brand Rhubi Mistelle has announced the winners of the cocktail competition, including one winner from four major Australian cities.
Bartenders from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney were challenged to #JustAddRhubi as a secret sauce in their cocktail making, and feature their Rhubi-based cocktail on the menu at their bar, demonstrating the endless ways you can incorporate Rhubi into everyday cocktail making.
After the announcement of the finalists in January, Rhubi Co-Founder and award-winning bartender Evan Stroeve, who led the competition, visited each of the venues to try the finalists’ drinks, and judged them based on their creativity, taste and sales volume.
In Brisbane, George Curtis of Before + After was crowned winner with his innovative crowd pleaser Ruby Tuesday, which comprises Rhubi Mistelle, cacao, clarified raspberry cordial and soda.
Paige Chambert of Above Board took out the top spot in Melbourne with her Sneaky Link cocktail, a well-balanced combination of Rhubi Mistelle, gin, lemon, Campari and peach.
Perth-based bartender Benjamin Thomson from The Rechabite secured the top spot in Western Australia with his take on a gin sour, a combination of Rhubi Mistelle, Four Pillars Yuzu Gin, Marionette Bitter Curaçao, strawberry, saline, rhubarb bitters, and lemon, which he has dubbed Paint the Town Red.
Lastly, Kendal Kim of The Rover in Sydney secured a winning spot with her cocktail La Dee Da, using Tanqueray Gin, Poorman’s Orange, Rhubi Mistelle, House of Okar Tropic, Pisco, chamomile cream soda and fizzy grape.
After congratulating the finalists, Evan said: “We are overwhelmed by the number of entries for the #JustAddRhubi secret sauce challenge. This challenge was set to celebrate the versatility and ease of switching out key ingredients for Rhubi in cocktails, and the creativity we’ve seen come out of this competition just confirms our belief that Rhubi is made to be experimented with.”
Each of the winning bartenders will receive $500 in prize money, as well as Rhubi Mistelle merchandise. The bartenders’ venues will also receive an exclusive ‘Day Out with Rhubi’ valued at $1,000 and a Rhubi stock contribution.
