All set for Old Fashioned Week 1-10 November 2018

Old Fashioned Cocktail Week, the international bar celebration 1-10 November 2018, raises the standards even higher this year. It launches a challenge to bartenders and bars to create the best Old Fashioned in the world – classic, contemporary, or avant-garde. The video-based competition is open only to professional bartenders, and the top prize comprises a tailormade suit and a hosted three-day visit to Paris Rum Fest 6-8 April 2019. Full rules can be found on www.old-fashioned-week.com. Bartenders are invited to submit entries before the closing date 30 November and can therefore reflect their best creations from Old Fashioned Week (OFW) earlier in the month. Judging criteria include originality, the recipe itself, technical mastery, quality of the video, and level of social media engagement and ‘likes’. Results will be announced on 15 January 2019. This new feature is in partnership with one of OFW’s sponsors, Toschi Amarena red cherries. Michael Landart, co-founder of OFW and owner of
Paris bar Maria Loca, will head the judging jury. For information: bestoldfashioned@old-fashioned-week.com

Old Fashioned Week celebrates the father of all cocktails, the Old Fashioned. Bartenders around the world will reach for their mixing spoons and show off their old fashioned and new fashioned creativity for ten days in November. OFW is the annual global celebration of cocktailing. It boldly increases its impact from its third year in 2017, and for 2018, it has launched with ambassadors in 13 international zones, to embrace many of the highest profile cocktail cities in the world. This embassy of top spirits experts and writers will help inspire bars to serve up the most classic, innovative, original, premium or daringly different Old Fashioned cocktails. They aim to extend the legend that makes it the most enduring and popular cocktail in quality bars (in the World’s 50 Best Bars). Bars are invited to participate by registering on the OFW website by 20 October; all set for Old Fashioned Week 1-10 November 2018. So expect to hear that bar call ‘Mix me an Old Fashioned’, from discerning cocktail drinkers in their favourite bars. www.old-fashioned-week.com Old Fashioned Week targetd over 1,000 bars in 2018 (increasing from 800 participating bars in 2017). It has flourished from its modest concept to a worldwide diary date – thanks to its creators Michael Landart of popular neighbourhood bar Maria Loca in Paris, and rum enthusiast Cyrille Hugon who founded Paris Rum Fest and Rumporter Magazine. Participating bars will serve Old Fashioneds using at least two of the sponsoring spirit brands and Angostura aromatic bitters. Beyond that, they can freely use their other regular listed spirits. Consumers can enjoy individually conceived events, promotions, and generally good old fashioned drinking fun. Bars, and also
shops, can announce their activities on the Old Fashioned Week website and show off their creations via OFW.

How to make a classic Old Fashioned cocktail
Glass: old fashioned / tumbler / rocks glass
4cl spirit. Choose bourbon / rum / rye whiskey / Scotch whisky / cognac
2 dashes of ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters
1 sugar cube
1 sliver of orange zest
1 Toschi Amarena cherry
Muddle the bitters and sugar with a splash of soda or flat water for 1 minute in the glass.
Add the spirit and fill the glass with ice. Garnish with the orange zest and cherry.
The sensations of taste should be fruity-aromatic with citrus sweetness, whilst letting the pure, punchy spirit
flavours shine through.
Generally, its requisites are that it is a short cocktail, and it should always be garnished.