Words From The Judging Panel
After 25 years in the business doing the corporate side it was my turn to stand up and introduce my own brand – Rhuby – a humbling experience - at London Cocktail Week. Not that there was not enough brilliant support around me. My master blender Solveig Sommarström, Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero – both co-founders of Speed-Rack. A small gathering with experience and years in the industry in London for the same focus – The Rhuby Pink Your Drink cocktail competition.
The venue was London Cocktail Club – Shaftesbury Avenue, London – with its’ fabulous hospitality and supporting attitude.
The date was 10th October with 7 amazing girls competing for the No 1 position and £500 cash price.
Rules were in simplistic terms – three cocktails per girl – one signature Rhuby cocktail which allowed them the place in the competition submitted with ingredients and video footage for the judges to make their initial pick. The competition was run nationally the 7 girls were selected from a large pool of UK talent.
Second drink was a classic Cocktail with a Rhuby twist which was thrown at them as they walked up to the bar to check skills and knowledge with no time to research and prepare but to think innovatively and act.
Last but not least their staple signature cocktail e.g. a complete innovation demonstrating their personality and skill set in the drinks game.
After a long and hard debate the judges decided that the girl having achieved the three best serves, had an in-depth knowledge and had really vowed them was a fight between Naomi and Elsa (the others were not far off in points as the quality of the contenders was intense).
Time restraints did not allow a re-match between the two first runners but instead the judges went back into their notes and with a mere 0.5 points separation Naomi was nominated the Rhuby Bartender of the year.
Many thanks for such a fabulously entertaining and yet fun and dynamic evening. The bar certain has been raised and I wish and hope this has given the girls ambition and support to move forward and partake in more competitions and getting their name out there.
As the founder of Rhuby I take my hat off and bow. I can only say that you totally blew all my expectations and delivered beyond. Many thanks for that.
Ylva Binder – Founder Rhuby
