London Cocktail Week : Wednesday - Rhuby Cocktail Competition

Rosie Paterson, Voodoo Rooms

Rhuby Liqueur. From Rhubarb.

Its pink. For girls.

And so was the cocktail competition – Pink Your Drink - with the aim to support Breast Cancer Awareness as well as female bartenders.

So it was that I popped into the LCC Shaftsbury Avenue (with its female manager Sarah) to witness my first ever all female cocktail competition. And my, wasn’t it pink! From the hair and make up to the clothes to the Rhuby with prosecco drink. But despite the support that the girls had for each other they were also in it to win it.

The seven finalists from across the UK had a tough job on their hands with just minutes to make two cocktails as well as putting a Rhuby twist on a classic – chosen from a hat before their turn “on stage” – all the while entertaining the judges and crowd.

There were great drinks and even better stories playing on family ties and holidays but in the end the winner – by 0.5 points – was Naomi Fletcher from Hawksmoor with:

Flip It Twice

50ml Rhuby Liqueur
25ml Arette Blanco tequila
10ml Vanilla syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Whole egg
Small piece of lemon zest

Combine all the ingredients in a Boston tin and dry-shake first without ice, then again with ice. Double-strain into a chilled Sours glass and serve straight up. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

What struck me more about this competition than any other I have attended was the camaraderie. As the girls awaited their turn, chewing nails and running through supplies, the others were all there offering support, encouragement and friendship. Frankly, this is lacking at other events where bars form cliques around their contender. I wonder why no one thought of this before…?

Oh and the Rhuby liqueur itself? Ridiculously heavy yet beautiful bottle. Tasty surprisingly balanced drink. Look forward to playing with it soon.