2021

Pursuit of Perfection Cocktail Competition 2021

Photography by No.3 Gin

Held at Berry Bros. & Rudd's headquarters at No.3 St James's Street on Tuesday 26th July 2021, No.3 Gin's Pursuit of Perfection cocktail competition was one of the first in-person competitions to be held post Covid. After a day of intense competition, Thomas Hay Owens, Group Beverage Co-ordinator at True North Brew Co. in Sheffield, won the overall prize.

Thomas has won an all-expenses-paid trip to the No.3 Gin distillery in Schiedam, the Netherlands. He will also have the opportunity to collaborate with the team at No.3 on a limited-edition bottled cocktail, to join Alessandro Palazzi's award-winning Vesper cocktail. A media campaign is planned to support the launch and £1 from the sale of each bottle will be donated to Hospitality Action

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Thomas' winning cocktail recipes:

Poetry In Motion
Glass: Nick & Nora
Garnish: No.3 & gorse flower spritz and dill sprig
Method: STIR all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
40 ml No.3 Gin
25 ml Homemade herbal liqueur
15 ml Strawberry & celery oleo
15 ml Vanilla infused verjus
4 dashes Homemade Umami bitter.

The Last Word
Method: Freeze and serve straight from the bottle into a glass of your choosing
35 ml No.3 Gin
12.5 ml Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
10 ml Green Chartreuse
10 ml Muyu Jasmine Verte
10 ml Lactic Acid Solution (1:12)
22.5 ml Yuzu extract infused water
4 drops Pandan Extract
3 drops Saline 25%

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About

Following three years of the No.3 Unlock Taste competition, 2021 the award-winning gin brand took a new direction in 2021 with a new name for its cocktail competition.

The Pursuit of Perfection cocktail competition challenged bartenders in the UK to create a cocktail inspired by something they find perfection in. Entrants could find their inspiration in any topic, such as nature, art, music or food and must translate that idea into their final cocktail concept. Entrants competed for the opportunity to collaborate with the No.3 team on a limited-edition bottled cocktail, with £1 from every sale donated to Hospitality Action

Round one
Bartenders across the UK were invited to submit their recipes to the competition via an online entry form. The recipes were required to have at least 30ml of No.3 Gin and no more than six ingredients in total, with one ingredient permitted to be homemade. Entries were judged on story, recipe, methodology and presentation.

Round two
40 entrants were selected to progress to the second round. These competitors were asked to create their bottled cocktails in the packaging supplied by the brand and returned to No.3 for judging by a panel.

The final
The 10 finalists were invited to attend the national final at No.3 St James's Street on Tuesday 26th July 2021 and Thomas Hay Owens was pronounced the winner. The judging panel comprised Alessandro Palazzi of Dukes Hotel, Hannah Grace Lodge of BarChick, and No.3's Brand Ambassador Ross Bryant.

Finalists and their Cocktails



Max Haywardency 76 image
Lab 22 in Cardiff
Cocktail recipe:
Garnish: Cherry Paint
40ml No.3
15ml Lustau Rosé Vermut
5ml Maraschino/ orange bitter blend
125ml Grape soda

Manuel Spolaoreency 58 image
The Rivoli Bar, The Ritz- London
Platform No.3:
45ml No.3
15ml Noilly Pratt dry vermouth
15ml Columbian coffee cordial
3 Drops of fennel oil

Dylan Ambasna-Jonesency 84 image
The Walcot, Bath

50ml No.3 Gin
25ml Lemon
20ml Chai Honey Cider
10ml Coconut Aperol

Svajune Janeliunaiteency 12 image
Coupette in London
Wine Century:
35ml No.3 Gin
10ml Citric acid solution
5ml Absinthe chocolate liqueur
2.5ml Tempus Fugit Crème de cacao dark
2.5ml Fino sherry
2.5ml Sugar syrup
50ml Grape soda
2 Dashes chocolate bitters

Lisa Macleodency 89 image
The Craftsman in Aberdeen
Buzzing:
Garnish: 2 sprays of pistachio and mosaic hopped tincture & candied orange peel twist
55ml Pistachio Oil Washed No. 3
20ml Acid Adjusted Blood Orange Juice
25ml Amalfi Lemon Marmalade Honey Syrup
2 drops Saline Solution
3 drops Foamee Miraculous Foamer

Ramsey Keirency 96 image
Goldfinch London Ltd.
Cocktail 1:
Garnish: Grapefruit infused Coral Tuile
peach sherbet
35ml Camomile & Grapefruit Peel Sous Vide No3
20ml luxardo bitter bianco
20ml Cocchi Americano
5ml Briotett Peche

Ross Lawrieency 48 image
The Orchid in Aberdeen
Clarified Clover Club:
Clarified Milk Punch (per batch)
350ml No.3 Gin
200ml Fresh raspberry Leaf Tea
400g Fresh pineapple (blended)
125ml Coriander & cardamom syrup
200ml Milk
100ml Lemon
All ingredients super bagged and left to filter for 7 hours.
Clover Club (bottled):
187.5ml No.3 Gin
50ml Coriander infused Cocchi Americano
100ml Raspberry gomme syrup
25ml Roobius lime acid
15ml Fever-Tree soda (optional)

Carlos Garciaency 49 image
The Windmill Soho in London
Royal No.3:
Method:
Stir ingredients with blue tea ice shards, and strain over blue tea ice shaped like a diamond
Top with 50ml of Cremant de Limoux
Gently cover with a foam made of Gelatine, Dubonnet, Mexican Chocolate bitters and Salt Solution to enhance flavours. Spray with food-grade gold glitter.
35ml No.3 Gin
12ml Lime oleo shrub
15ml Filtered lime juice
5ml Concentrated N3 gin infused with mint
Esmeralda
Method: Carbonate 3 times with CO2
40ml No.3 Gin
10ml White creme de cacao liqueur
10ml Homemade mint 1:1 syrup
15ml Filtered lime juice
2 drops Saline solution
5ml Apple cider vinegar
20ml Water

Rémi Satony Benaency 82 image
ROOTS in London
1698:
Glass: Rock glass
Garnish: Grapefruit oil on the top of the drink.
Method: In a American Oak Barrel (Medium Toasted) fill up with Shiraz Wine for 1 month to soak the barrel. Empty the wine and let the barrel empty for 24 hours, Fill up with Bourbon 40% for 1 month. Then empty the barrel and leave it empty for 24 hours.
To prepare the actual cocktail "1698" place in the barrel the ingredients. Leave to age for 30 days.
To make one drink :
In a mixing glass, place 2 muddled Green Cardamom, pour 5 drops of Stomach/Orange Bitter, 60ml of the Barrel-Aged Martinez. Stir over ice block.
Served with N°3 Rosemary pot on the side with dry ice to water (100ml hot water, 100ml N°3 Gin, 50ml Edmond Briottet Liqueur de Sapin (pine liqueur).
1890ml No.3 Gin
1080ml Mancino Rosso (or another red vermouth)
270ml Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
Leave the cocktail to aged for 30 days.

Pursuit of Perfection Cocktail Competition 2021 image 1 Pursuit of Perfection Cocktail Competition 2021 image 2
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