One Year as an ABV Network Cocktail Contest Judge

It was about this time last year when I received an email from Steve Akley asking if I wanted to be a guest judge on the next ABV Network Cocktail Contest.  At first, I was taken by surprise because I thought to myself, “Who am I to judge a contest like this?”  I’ve listened to the prior year’s Cocktail Contest shows on The Bourbon Daily…these are pretty contested events.

Since I found out about the ABV Network in a chance encounter with Steve at Neeley Family Distillery in September 2019, I have been a fan of all the podcasts.  I even have taken some of the Home Bartending Virtual Events when those were going on.  To say that I was both honored and intimidated, it would have been both.  I have seen the pictures of the cocktails presented by both other fans, Crew Club Members, and bartenders.  The amount of creativity, simplicity, complexity, and passion from the contestants is humbling.  All in all, how could I say no?

For those of you first reading about the ABV Cocktail Contest, here are the rules.  Each month, Bourbon Celebrity McNew selects a Theme which includes a Signature Ingredient.  In the past year, we have seen Sparkling Water to Edible Flowers, from Pumpkin Puree to Red Pepper Flakes.  The goal is for the contestants to create a concoction using that Monthly Theme with that Signature Ingredient.  Both McNew and Steve Akley are the judges with two to three guest judges.  In one month, the elegant Molly Wellmann joined us as a Guest Judge.  That is BIG TIME folks.  Molly is a self-made mixologist that has spent time with bars across the country.  She settled in back home in Cincinnati and is the Owner of Japp’s founded in 1879 in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.  Nightclub and Bar Media awarded Molly the Best Bartender/Owner in 2019 as well.  

The real stars of the show are the group of folks who continue to challenge each other each month and raise the bar.  You have the Ewaldz, Adina and Dave, Kevan Majors, Kevin Rose, and Vicki Higginson.  Everyone submits their cocktail with the Signature Ingredient, the ABV Network Crew Club votes for three finalists, and then those finalists make their cocktail in front of a live audience that is recorded as an episode of The Bourbon Daily.

Now the hard part comes for us judges.  This home bartending rookie gets to judge the best cocktail of the night that gives some big bragging rights to the winner in this small community.  The creativity of the contestants cannot be taken for granted in the decision.  We’ve had a floating squirt boat lit on fire in one cocktail.  One contestant is a riveting storyteller that connects the cocktail back to their lineage.  Another takes a different strategy by keeping things simple.  

What I enjoy most about being a judge is having a front seat for some comedic relief.  I have a keen eye on watching for something out of the ordinary.  For example, I deducted points for one contestant using their hands and not an ice scoop.  Another one is I have been able to find a common theme in each contestant’s cocktail shakes.  I have to be honest, it has been a lot of fun being in this role until the end when I have to make my decision on who gets to take the crown for that month. 

In conclusion, if my tenure as a guest judge ends up coming to an end soon, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the seat.  I have enjoyed watching these contestants evolve from home bartenders messing around to some of the most creative people in the industry.  There is a cocktail book full of ideas just from these contestants that any mixologist would love to take a chance at recreating.  If you wanted to take a look at the episodes, you can view them on the Bourbon Sasquatch Productions YouTube Channel.  Also, we are always looking for contestants, so stop by https://www.abvnetwork.com/coin to read about the rules from this latest run that stretches from April 2021-April 2022.  Head on over to the www.abvnetwork.com/shop to get your Challenge Coin and join in on the fun.  

Cheers.