Spirits innovator Emporia Brands and award-winning Chairman’s Reserve rum of St Lucia Distillers, are proud to announce the winning venue for the 2017 Chairman’s Reserve Mai Tai campaign.

Milk Bar from Reading were announced on Tuesday 26th September winners at The Magic Roundabout, one of London iconic pop-up sites. The final saw five venues from across the UK recreate their Chairman’s Mai Tai’s to the public and VIP judges, hoping to win a trip for two to St Lucia as part of the prestige Chairman’s XI programme.

Joining Milk at the final were last year’s winners Alvino’s of Newcastle upon Tyne, Colonel Porter’s, also of Newcastle upon Tyne, Ten Mill Lane from Cardiff and wild card entry of Panda & Sons from Edinburgh.

With a secret panel of judges on hand to test out each cocktail, Milk were deemed worthy winners for 2017 and earnt their place on the plane to St Lucia.

Winning Recipe*:

Pearl of the Caribbean
35ml Chairman’s Reserve Spiced
20ml Chairman’s Reserve Gold
15ml fresh lime juice
35ml milk shrub no.2
3 dash angostura bitters

Shake and strain over crushed ice in up-cycled food tin. Garnish with a thyme sprig, dehydrated lime and desiccated coconut.

*Shrub Recipe

200ml caster sugar
175ml cold water
Whole fig, in 8ths
2 big lime peels
50ml crushed almonds
25ml chairman spiced
15ml orange flower water
50ml red wine vinegar

Method –
Bring sugar and water to boil, dissolve sugar fully. Add figs and lime peel and simmer for 5 min. Remove from heat and add crushed almonds. Bring back to boil and simmer for 2 min. Add Chairman’s and orange flower water. Simmer for 1 min. Add red wine vinegar. Simmer for 1 min, let cool slightly and filter through coffee filter.

 

About Chairman’s Reserve:

Chairman’s Reserve Finest St Lucia Rum is a blend of pot and coffey still rums from one of the world’s most respected distilleries. Aged for up to five years in ex-Bourbon casks, it is returned to cask after blending for a further six months. The resulting rum is delicious on its own, but also works brilliantly as the base for classic rum cocktails. Chairman’s Reserve is widely available, including all online retailers, wine merchants and currently set at £20 at larger Sainsburys stores.

For more information on Chairman’s Reserve and Emporia Brands, please visit www.emporiabrands.com

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