No.3 Gin Pursuit of Perfection Competition 2023

No. 3 London Dry Gin, of course, takes its name from Berry Bros and Rudd's historic St. James' Street address, but this classically-styled, six botanical, London dry gin is distilled in a 112-year-old, direct fired pot still at the No.3 Gin distillery in Schiedam, Netherlands, so appropriately, that's where this final was held.

First Round

The first round saw three competitors from each of the four countries represented compete against each other to find the winner from each country, which in a closely contested competition saw these four emerge as National Winners.
Joaquin Manrique from Santos y Desamparados in Madrid, Spain
Giovanni Miola from Simbiosi in Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Robin Lühert from Bar & Café Esprit in Göttingen, Germany
Adam Montanaro Taylor from Project Halcyon in Manchester, UK

Speed Round

Then a cocktail knowledge test preceded a speed round to find the wild-card fifth competitor to join the four National Winners. The challenge was to make a Dry Martini, a Negroni and a Pegu Club in the quickest time. As the competitors battled against the clock, there was one, thankfully superficial but still bloody injury, and a cocktail lost to the ice-chest. After penalty seconds from the knowledge round were added to the times, there was only a second separating the two fastest competitors, with Alec Dominic Loße from Charles Bar in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany emerging as the wild-card finalist.

Final Round & Winners

In the Global Final, the five finalists were challenged to present their cocktail featuring No. 3 Gin, a homemade modifier and their choice of dilution.

It wasn't just the skills each finalist demonstrated or their delicious cocktails, but the passion, personality and entertaining way they all presented that made judging this competition such a pleasure. All five were well prepared and on top form for the final, a step up from the already high standards of the previous round.

However, a unanimous judge's decision saw the trio of cocktail shaker trophies awarded as follows:

1st place Joaquin Manrique (centre)

2nd place Robin Lühert (left)

3rd Adam Montanaro Taylor (right)

In addition, Joaquin was awarded a £3,000 cash prize and a takeover at a world-class bar of their choice in either Italy, Germany, Spain or the UK, co-hosted with the affable and talented No.3 Gin Global Brand Ambassador, Ross Bryant.

Joaquin's winning cocktail

Joaquin's concept was to produce a cocktail that smelled and tasted of chocolate but was not made with chocolate. He used 45ml of No. 3 London Dry Gin with 30ml of mucilage, the white pulp surrounding cocoa beans inside their pods. His cocktail was chilled with an ice cube made from a red tea variety with a chocolate taste and was garnished with a single chocolate mint leaf. It is a brilliantly conceived, simple cocktail that is as delicious as it is clever.

Joaquin's first-round cocktail (see below) was my favourite of all served during the competition, and I scored it a whopping 37 out of 40 for taste.

Finalists and their Cocktails

In the order they presented in the 1st round.

Guiseppe Destefano
20 Berkeley, London, UK
Two Life:
45 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
5 ml Tio Pepe fino sherry
25 ml Earl Grey tea and bergamot cordial
Homemade apple soda

Adam Montanaro Taylor
Project Halcyon in Spinningfields, Manchester, UK
The Berry Widow:
40 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
20 ml Ostara English Hedgerow Vermouth
7.5 ml Tio Pepe fino sherry
15 ml Lacto-fermented strawberry and chamomile infused Bénédictine
2 dashes Electric Bitters

Rhys Langley
Lady Libertine in Edinburgh, UK
Seas of Saturn:
50 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
25 ml Saturn peach shrub
20 ml Lemon juice
5 ml Orgeat
1 dash Spiced lemon tincture

Thimo Hell
El Camino Bar, Germany
Boker Martini:
55 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
10 ml Lime juice
10 ml Noilly Prat vermouth
50 ml Meadow tea syrup
7.5 ml Black pepper infused No.3 Gin

Alec Dominic Loße
Charles Bar in Wittenberg, Germany
Princess Charlotte:
60 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
40 ml Tomato essence
20 ml Fino Sherry
10 ml Verjus
5 ml Coriander spirit
2 dashes Celery bitters

Robyn Lühert
Bar & Café Esprit in Göttingen, Germany
No Borders:
45 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
30 ml Peach-grapefruit-cordial pomegranate-shrub
5 ml Coconut shrub
4 drops Dale DeGroff's Pimento Bitter

Riccardo Rebesan
CO.MO Bar & Bistrot in Mandarin Oriental, Lago Di Como, Italy
Dirty Mary:
35 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
20 ml Lacto fermented tomato water
15 ml Ancho Reyes Chili liquor
3 dash Cucumber bitters

Giovanni Miola
Simbiosi in Florence, Italy
Ada:
45 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
45 ml Fake Pink Vermouth homemade cordial
10 ml Raspberry Coley Bitter

Emilio Pecchioli
Rasputin Bar in Florence, Italy
21st Century Limited:
45 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
35 ml Tangerine oleo and verjus shrub
7.5 ml Crème de Cacao
3 drops Mandarin leaf and roasted seeds bitters

Joaquin Manrique
Santos y Desamparados in Madrid, Spain
Gin Manzan(a)illa Fizz:
45 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
15 ml Manzanilla, fennel, and green pepper shrub dry vermouth
7 ml Junmai sake
3 drops of fennel and pepper oil
1 Lemon peel

Oleksandr "Alexander" Danilov
Residence, Spain
Yacht No. 3:
50 ml No.3 London Dry Gin
7 fresh Basil leaves
17.5 ml Ginger-infused dry vermouth
17.5 ml Carpano Classico vermouth
8.5 ml Lime juice
7.5 ml Sugar syrup

Maxime Staechelin
14 de la Rosa, Barcelona, Spain
Belle Époque:
35 ml No. 3 London Dry Gin
10 ml Lustau Amontillado
35 ml Dolin Blanc
2.5 ml Dolin Chamberyzette Fraise aperitif
7.5 ml Raspberry Almond verjus
2 drops Burnt raspberry oil
Orange zest twist
2 ripe Nocellera olives marinated in lemon