TOTCF and Bombay Sapphire invite bartenders from the U.S. and Canada to register for Most Imaginative Bartender, now through August 21, 2023.
Bombay Sapphire and Tales of the Cocktail Foundation have teamed up to once again launch Most Imaginative Bartender, a competition that aims to inspire the bartending community to embrace their creative outlets and showcase what drives their inspiration behind the bar. Returning for its fifteenth year and third season hosted by TOTCF, MIB reinforces its renewed focus on what drives bartenders beyond creative cocktails.
Bartenders in the U.S. and Canada are invited to register for the competition between now and August 21st by visiting www.mostimaginativebartender.com. Applicants are asked to create a cocktail featuring either Bombay Sapphire or Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru as well as provide a photo, video, or written depiction of their creative outlet.
Following the application process, 24 Semi-Finalists will be invited to compete in-person within a brand-new Semi-Final competition framework that brings creativity front and center. The Semi-Final will feature a panel of judges including representatives of Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, Bombay Sapphire, and established industry personalities who will evaluate the bartenders’ creative outlets, cocktails, and how the two are linked.
Twelve finalists will be selected and provided the opportunity to visit the Home of Bombay, Laverstoke Mill. Over the four days, finalists will not only experience the top-tier hospitality of select cocktail bars and restaurants in London but also receive mentorship from innovators within and apart from the drinks industry.
Furthermore, the finalists will each receive up to $3,000 as a Creative Grant from Tales of the Cocktail Foundation which will allow the competitors to build a business plan to be presented in the Canvas Challenge. The Canvas Challenge, which comprises half of the Final Competition of MIB, asks the finalists how they would bring their creative outlet to life for their community.
The finalist with the highest combined score of the two Finals Challenges will be named the “2024 Most Imaginative Bartender” and receive a $20,000 Grant to fund their Canvas Challenge project.
Interested parties are invited to join three past MIB Winners – Carley Gaskin Hansen (2019), Valentino Longo (2020), and Peter Hannah (2022) – for “MIB Talks: Conversations in Creativity” at Tales of the Cocktail 2023 on Tuesday, July 25 at 10:30 AM at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.
Most Imaginative Bartender is a celebration of what makes the drinks industry unique: the inspiring, talented people behind the bar. Bombay Sapphire and Tales of the Cocktail Foundation are thrilled to feature their shared enthusiasm for fostering creativity within the drinks industry through MIB2024.
About Bombay Sapphire:
Based on a 1761 recipe, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. The design of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery at Laverstoke Mill has won a BREEAM award for sustainability and is the home of the unique Vapour Infusion process, where the natural flavours of the botanicals are skilfully captured, resulting in the fresh and vibrant taste with which BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is synonymous. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is on a mission to be the world’s most sustainable gin, with all 10 botanicals being certified sustainably sourced. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.
Wherever the journey takes you, Bombay® Gin encourages you to drink responsibly.
©2023. Bombay and its trade dress are trademarks.
Imported by The Bombay Spirits Company U.S.A., Coral Gables, Fl. gin – 43% alc. by vol.
About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation:
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to advance the global hospitality industry and create a lasting impact in our host communities. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is the global leader in spirits education and a platform to tackle issues facing the industry. The pillars of the Foundation are to Educate, Advance and Support the hospitality industry through programs that benefit individuals and organizations in the community and to make a lasting impact in the communities that host our events.
About Tales of the Cocktail:
Founded in 2002, Tales of the Cocktail has grown from a small gathering of cocktail lovers into the world’s premier cocktail festival. Each year the international spirits industry is welcomed to New Orleans for a week of seminars, tastings, networking events and much more. With 300+ annual events developed specifically for bartenders, distillers and other spirits professionals, Tales of the Cocktail is the industry’s annual meeting place for the exchange of new ideas, products, and techniques
For Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Media Inquiries:
Foxglove Communications
Gia Vecchio, [email protected]
Hunter Smith, [email protected]
