New Brunswick Getting Its First Official Cocktail Competition
FREDERICTON – With so much talk about craft beer lately, another alcoholic beverage is finally getting some spotlight.
On Sept. 3 Fredericton’s Capital Complex is teaming up with Saint John’s Port City Royal for New Brunswick’s first bartending cocktail competition.
The idea for the competition called SHAKE IT UP spurred from the lack of creative freedom in cocktail and mix drink competitions in North America.
“It’s something that I’ve had some issues with for a long time. Just the format of competition that exists in North America and Europe is very corporately oriented. It’s about a specific product or line of products,” says Eric Scouten, bar manager at Port City Royal. “I found it bothersome because it limits the creativity of the bartender. I myself am not a competitive bartender and the biggest reason why I never got interested in it because I have no interest in kissing somebody’s ass to win a prize.”
Scouten was then approached by his friend Paul McAllister of the Capital Complex, who was planning on launching a new cocktail menu at his bar.
“He asked me if I would mind taking a look at his cocktail menu and potentially organizing some kind of event at some point in coordination with him,” Scouten says.
“I mentioned the idea of doing a cocktail competition and it evolved into this idea of creating a series of regional cocktail competitions that can promote bartending as a craft in general and hopefully lead this into a provincial finals.”
The city competitions kick off with the Sept. 3 event in Fredericton, followed by events in Saint John and Moncton (dates to be determined). The winner of each contest will receive a prize pack as well as their wining cocktail featured at bars in Saint John and Fredericton. Scouten says they hope to organize at least two to three other competitions in the rest of the province. After that, they would like to organize an official provincial competition with the regional winners.
Scouten says New Brunswick has only recently started catching on to thriving global cocktail culture. The surge of “foodie” culture and desire for quality food in the province has also contributed to the rise of cocktail popularity.
“With cocktail culture the idea is alcohol is not treated as form of intoxicant, but rather as a form of sustenance. It’s an extension of food and more and more people getting interested in this foodie culture have discovered cocktail culture because it is just this natural progression in the food scene.”
Bartenders and cocktail making enthusiasts can now sign up to compete in Fredericton. Scouten says they also hope to see the general public out to take in the events.
“Hopefully we get some people coming out to see the bartenders perform. Because that’s what it is, a performance. It’s not just about making a drink, it’s about putting on a show and really finding way to engage the audience and have them consume the product long before it ever gets to them in a glass.”