When it comes to choosing the "Best Cocktail in Switzerland 2021", some principles have to be set in stone. A large field of bar professionals is one thing, a jury composed of authorities from the Swiss bar scene is another.
The members of the two jury groups included Daniel Staub (author BAR NEWS section Bartender International), Thomas Blum (Agroscope), Cecilia Ben Salah-Paschoud (Prevention and Alcohol Market EZV, juror DistiSuisse) and Raymond Maurer (communication expert).
Jury president and Barkeeper veteran Bruno Hunkeler made sure that everything was done correctly during the judging. For example, it was ensured that the sixth jury member, Wolfgang Mayer (bar manager Widder Bar), was not allowed to judge the drink of his colleague Sarah Madritsch in the preliminary round and in the grand final of the best six.
Since testing 24 cocktails is hardly manageable for a single jury member, the division into two jury groups ensured that the jurors could face their demanding task soberly.
Art meets liquid culinary
At the final on 21 June, the 24 Barkeeper had to compete with their own creations, with which they had already prevailed from a pool of recipes submitted by over 50 bartenders.
"Just to put these figures into perspective: Compared to the total population, a total of 500 prescriptions would have had to be submitted in Germany," says BAR NEWS editor Ruedi Zotter.
The recipes were checked for the general conditions and anonymised. A jury of several members evaluated the entries and the drink photos sent in and thus determined the 24 finalists.
You go to a bar, choose a drink from the bar menu or order the same drink as the person next to you. If you like the drink, you order it again. The Barkeeper may come to the table and tell the guest something about the drink, the ingredients or the inspiration for the recipe. Exactly this procedure, which is common in everyday bar life, was the basis of the SWISS COCKTAIL OPEN.
Many freedoms for competitors
The main difference to usual cocktail competitions is that the Barkeeper had a lot of freedom in their own creations. The fictitious bottle shelf was stocked with 90 partner brands, from which the competitors had to choose at least two products: an ingredient from an international brand as well as an ingredient produced in Switzerland. Only one homemade ingredient and one niche product were allowed.
"Finally there is a cocktail competition where we have more freedom."
Sarah Madritsch, winner of the SWISS COCKTAIL OPEN
A technical jury was searched for in vain at the 1st SWISS COCKTAIL OPEN. The organisers deliberately did without, because the bar professionals should work as they are used to in practice.
The taste of the drink was to account for 80 per cent of the rating, the remaining points could be obtained by the Barkeeper with the visual aspect of the drink. As is well known, the eye also drinks, because how a drink looks automatically triggers associations with flavours, which influence the guest's expectations.
Many of the 24 cocktails were true works of art, often decorated with things that accentuated the flavour of the drink or added a touch of complexity.
These are the recipes of the six finalists
24 Barkeeper mixed for the title of "Best Cocktail in Switzerland 2021" at the first SWISS COCKTAIL OPEN. But only those drinks that convinced both with their inner and outer values made it to the second round: the grand final.
Mise en Place is half the battle
When the doors of Hall 550 in Zurich Oerlikon opened at around 3.30 p.m. on 21 June 2021, the first Barkeeper were already there with their ingredients, mixing utensils and glasses in tow. After registration, they immediately went to the preparation room, where each Barkeeper had its own table. Squeezing juices, preparing decorations, preparing ingredients - a good mise en place is also half the battle at a cocktail competition.
A little later, all 24 Barkeeper were standing in the bar room to listen to the welcome address by the organisers. The organisers, together with the entire BAR NEWS team, had done an enormous amount of "mis-en-place" to ensure that the event could take place in an orderly manner. Punctually at 5 p.m., the first Barkeeper were already waiting in the starting blocks.
In each round, three Barkeeper simultaneously mixed four cocktails according to their submitted recipe. After seven minutes at the latest, the drinks had to be distributed to the jury, after which the finalists left the place to the following candidates. After an hour, numbers 1 to 12 were through, followed by numbers 13 to 24 after a short break. The event was perfectly accompanied and moderated by Marcel Giger.
The moment of decision
From each jury group, the best three Barkeeper qualified for the grand final.
Group A:
- Luca Huber, Bar am Wasser, Zurich
- Sarah Madritsch, Widder Bar, Zurich
- Korbinian Walker, Barservice by Walker, Basel
| Rank | Name | Local | Drink | Appearance (20%) | Aroma (25%) | Flavour (55%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Luca Huber | Bar am Wasser | Daddy Cool | 16.7 | 20.8 | 49.5 | 87.0 |
| 2. | Sarah Madritsch | Aries Bar | A Tale of Two Cities | 17.3 | 22.5 | 45.8 | 85.7 |
| 3. | Korbinian Walker | Barservice by Walker | Drops of Jupiter | 16.0 | 20.0 | 47.7 | 83.7 |
| 4. | Anthony Kunz | Kronenhalle Bar | Red Riot | 15.3 | 19.2 | 47.7 | 82.2 |
| 5. | Gabriel Bodor | Eve Lounge | Overnight | 15.3 | 20.8 | 44.0 | 80.2 |
| 6. | Rahel Studer | Cocktail bar to the Türk | Wellerman | 14.7 | 17.5 | 44.0 | 76.2 |
| 7. | Vanessa Brzezicha | Bar am Wasser | Wähezit | 15.3 | 20.0 | 40.3 | 75.7 |
| 8. | Matej Kovacic | Bank | Marian Daisy | 14.0 | 20.0 | 40.3 | 74.3 |
| 9. | Benjamin Hetze | Palace Bar at Kempinski | What the Fig | 14.0 | 19.2 | 40.3 | 73.5 |
| 10. | Freddy Jones | Workshop Chur | Ghost of the Forest | 16.7 | 19.2 | 36.7 | 72.5 |
| 11. | Fabian Baumgartner | George Bar & Grill | Willy Tonka | 16.7 | 18.3 | 36.7 | 71.7 |
| 12. | Franco Steiner | Café Bar Lockentopf | PurPur | 14.7 | 17.5 | 34.8 | 67.0 |
Group B:
- Kevin Abbühl, Atelier Classic Bar, Thun
- Liane Arnold, Baradox, Zurich
- André Haueter, Cocktailbar zum Türk, Solothurn
| Rank | Name | Local | Drink | Appearance (20%) | Aroma (25%) | Flavour (55%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Liane Arnold | Baradox AG | SAF (Swiss & Asian Friendship | 16.7 | 17.5 | 45.8 | 80.0 |
| 2. | Kevin Abbühl | Atelier Classic Bar | La fée immortelle | 18.7 | 19.2 | 40.3 | 78.2 |
| 3. | André Haueter | Cocktail bar to the Türk | Bergamia | 18.0 | 17.5 | 38.5 | 74.0 |
| 4. | Kedar Deritz | Hotel Waldhaus, Sils | Fall in Love | 12.7 | 20.0 | 40.3 | 73.0 |
| 5. | Philipp Kössl | Igniv Bar | Bean to Bar | 14.0 | 18.3 | 38.5 | 70.8 |
| 6. | Vladimir Reichert | Plant 8 | Rising Sun | 12.0 | 16.7 | 40.3 | 69.0 |
| 7. | Giampietro Morisi | The Alpina Gstaad | L'heure verte | 12.7 | 19.2 | 36.7 | 68.5 |
| 8. | Guido Petschen | Reineke's Bar | East indian trader | 15.3 | 15.8 | 33.0 | 64.2 |
| 9. | Markus Köppel | 52 Magic Bar | Rosemary's Baby | 12.7 | 16.7 | 34.8 | 64.2 |
| 10. | Kenneth Gerber | Twenty's Cocktail Bar | Feedback | 13.3 | 15.0 | 34.8 | 63.2 |
| 11. | Maurice Angst | Kreissaal Bar | The Manyfaced God | 12.0 | 16.7 | 33.0 | 61.7 |
| 12. | Vanja Jovanic | verve by sven | Blueberry Spritz | 16.0 | 13.3 | 27.5 | 56.8 |
Before the Barkeeper took their stirring spoons in their hands and filled their shakers at the grand finale, they told the storytelling jury and the audience how their own creation came about.
The best cocktail in Switzerland 2021
In the end, Sarah Madritsch from the Widder Bar shone. With her drink "A Tale of Two Cities", she bridged the gap between two localities. While the ingredient Belsazar White Vermouth represents the big city atmosphere of Berlin, Orator Rum White and Orator Rum Single Cask, Barrel #5 stand for the idyllic village life in the lower Tösstal. The rums of the speciality distillery Orator AG also come from there, more precisely from Pfungen.
But Sarah Madritsch's Thai roots and her joy of experimentation can also be found in the drink, namely through her homemade cordial made from dehydrated lime and coconut. The decoration, a simple daisy lying on a large ice cube, smiles at the guest and stands for hospitality, which is particularly close to the heart of the winner of the 1st SWISS COCKTAIL OPEN.
A Tale of Two Cities
by Sarah Madritsch | Widder Bar, Zurich
| 1 cl | Orator Rum White |
| 1 cl | Orator Rum Single Cask, Barrel #5 |
| 1 cl | Belsazar White Vermouth |
| 2 cl | Amontillado Sherry |
| 2 cl | Homemade Black Lime & Coconut Cordial* |
Preparation: Stir the ingredients cold in a mixing glass and serve in a tumbler on a large ice cube.
Deco: daisy, flavour with lemon zest
Black Lime & Coconut Cordial: Place 35 cl coconut water with 1 g crushed dehydrated lime and 30 g toasted coconut chips in a sous vide bag and cook at 37.5°C for 4 hours. Filter and mix with 35 g sugar, 2 g citric acid, 1 g tartaric acid, 0.1 g ascorbic acid, 10 drops of lactic acid (2% solution) and 5 g salt.
As the winner of the first SWISS COCKTAIL OPEN, Sarah Madritsch will receive exclusive prizes in addition to the title of "Best Cocktail in Switzerland": She can produce her own absinthe together with a top distiller. She will also receive a wildcard for the qualifying round in the "Barkeeper of the year" category at the 20th anniversary event of the SWISS BAR AWARDS 2022, a feature in BAR NEWS magazine and the challenge cup: a 70 cm high martini glass.
Further awards went to Franco Steiner (Café Bar Lockentopf, Aarau) as the youngest finalist, as well as Luca Huber (Bar am Wasser, Zurich), as the finalist with the best result of the first round.
Ranking list
| Rank | Name | Local | Drink | Appearance (20%) | Aroma (25%) | Flavour (55%) | Storytelling | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sarah Madritsch | Aries Bar | A Tale of Two Cities | 18.7 | 21.7 | 49.5 | 16 | 105.8 |
| 2. | Luca Huber | Bar am Wasser | Daddy Cool | 16.0 | 21.7 | 47.7 | 18 | 103.3 |
| 3. | Korbinian Walker | Barservice by Walker | Drops of Jupiter | 16.7 | 21.7 | 49.5 | 14 | 101.8 |
| 4. | Kevin Abbühl | Atelier Classic Bar | La fée immortelle | 18.0 | 20.0 | 42.2 | 18 | 98.2 |
| 5. | Liane Arnold | Baradox AG | SAF (Swiss & Asian Friendship) | 16.7 | 20.0 | 49.5 | 12 | 98.2 |
| 6. | André Haueter | Cocktail bar to the Türk | Bergamia | 16.7 | 18.3 | 40.3 | 14 | 89.3 |
Next implementation in 2022
After the great success of the premiere this year, it is planned to hold the SWISS COCKTAIL OPEN again in 2022. The planning work will start soon.
Interview with Michael Zotter
"Our aim was to launch a competition that did not yet exist in this form. In addition, we decided to launch it at a time when nothing was happening in the bar scene due to Corona. We also wanted to facilitate networking between bartenders and producers." Michael Zotter, Initiator SWISS COCKTAIL OPEN
Information for partners and Barkeeper will be published in good time on the website swisscocktailopen.ch and in the trade magazine BAR NEWS.
This article appeared in
Issue 3-2021
BAR NEWS magazine as single issue
