Whisky Cocktail Classic

Watch this space for more information on our theme and prize for 2022!

The inaugural winner of the Whisky Cocktail Classic was Rhys Wilson - then of Happiness Forgets in London and now Global Brand Ambassador for Chivas Regal  -  with The Claymore which combined Chivas Regal 12 Year Old whisky and a champagne cordial to create a “delicate Scotch Gimlet”.

Our last Whisky Cocktail Classic winner in 2019 was Nicola Rossini from the Blue Bar at The Berkeley.

His highball-style drink "The Iron Bridge", using Craigellachie 13 yo, was all about recruiting new consumers to the whisky category.

Whisky cocktails, according to the experts etc….(no copy amends)

More details on the 2022 competition will follow soon, but it's never too early to get mixing!

Whisky cocktails, according to the experts

We spoke to Anistatia Miller (Mixellany), Declan McGurk (The Savoy), Ago Perrone (The Connaught) and Brain Silva (Rules Restaurant) about the next big trend in whiskycocktails.

The message was clear:

Classic cocktails are the here and now – simple, versatile, spirit-forward drinks which can be replicated anywhere around the world.

Scotch is where it's at – Scotch whisky is on the upward trend, and the on-trade is crying out for more and more cocktails using Scotch.

Keep it simple – stick to one particular style or flavour profile, and have participants produce their own interpretation of what they think a classic is, expressing themselves using the whisky as a core ingredient.

We feel that there is a certain apprehension around using single malt whiskies in cocktails due to their bold character and the fashion for drinking them neat. What better challenge for you to get your teeth into!

More details on the 2021 competition will follow soon, but it's never too early to get mixing....