BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin Kicks Off 10th Annual Most Imaginative Bartender Competition

Top bartenders from 32 North American cities vie for winning title at North American Finals in London

TORONTO, June 9, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, in celebration of World Gin Day on June 11^th, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin kicks-off the regional finale events of the 10^th Annual BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Most Imaginative Bartender (MIB) Competition. Each regional competition will take place in major cities across North America – including Toronto, New York City, Miami, Austin, Las Vegas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, New Orleans, and Detroit – where the semi-finalists will vie to win a spot in the Top 10, representing their hometown. This year, each of the 100 semi-finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their artistry in a personal way, stepping out from behind the bar to share the story around their cocktails, to make a memorable first impression on the esteemed panel of judges. Guests at the events will be able to witness the artistry of the nation's brightest bartenders while also experiencing MIB's past competitors' creations. The competition will showcase an art studio featuring paintings of the previous 9 winning cocktails created from paints crafted from ingredients used in their winning drinks.

For the first time this August, in honor of MIB's 10^th Anniversary, the Top 10 finalists will travel to London – the home of BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and its new Laverstoke Distillery – to vie for the 2016 North American title. Upon arrival, the 10 finalists will be greeted with hand-painted works of art of their own winning cocktail alongside the past nine MIB winners' paintings in an exclusive "10 years, 10 Cocktails Exhibit".  Another first for this year, the Grand Prize winner will receive a trip to Tuscany to learn about the selection of 10 exotic botanicals that make up BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin. He/she will also be featured on a special edition cover of GQ Magazine's December Men of the Year issue.

"As we kick off the 10^th Anniversary of the Most Imaginative Bartender competition, it's thrilling to reflect on the innovation and artistry that each year brings," says Ned Duggan, VP, Managing Director for BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin. "This year's regional finals will not only highlight the participating bartenders' talents, but it will also celebrate the winning creations from the past 9 years through reimagined works of art. Making the most of this moment is crucial in order to move onto the finals in London. I wish all the participants the best of luck over the next few months and look forward to seeing the Top 10 regional finalists' creations across the pond this fall!"

Since inception, the MIB Competition has worked with bartenders who have gone on to further their careers and be known as some of the top bartending talent across the country today. Since winning the 2015 North American MIB title, Justin Lavenue has since expanded his own cocktail bar in Austin into one of the city's hottest accounts. That same year Justin was named Food & Wine's Best New Mixologist and Eater's 2015 Bartender of the Year. 2014 winner Ran Duan transformed his family-owned business – a traditional mom and pop Chinese restaurant just outside of Boston – into one of the most talked about cocktail bars in the nation in the wake of his victory.

Defending champion Justin Lavenue shared a few words of inspiration for this year's contestants: "It's a game-changing experience to compete against some of the best bartenders in the country, and in an event of this magnitude. Bombay Sapphire offers the chance to connect with hundreds of like-minded peers, which allows you to witness infinite possibilities of imagination. I can't wait to see what everyone has in store for the competition in its 10th anniversary."

Top 100 Semi-Finalists:

1. Atlanta - Trip Sandifer
2. Atlanta - Joseph Haywood
3. Atlanta - Jeff Banks
4. Austin - Madelyn Kay
5. Austin - Irene Jeanotte
6. Austin - Alexis Mijares
7. Berkley - Kyle Tran
8. Boston - Eric Gurry
9. Boston - Schuyler Hunton
10. Calgary - Dominik Aschauer
11. Calgary- Samantha Casuga
12. Charleston - Cody Henson
13. Charleston - Jeremiah Schenezel
14. Chicago - Brock Schulte
15. Chicago - Elizbaeth Mickiewicz
16. Chicago - Julia Momose
17. Chicago - Daniel Rook
18. Cleveland - Sean Zawadzki
19. Cleveland - Lorelei Bailey
20. Columbus - Alex Chien
21. Columbus - James Moore
22. Columbus - Ben Griest
23. Conneticut - Dimitrios Zahardis
24. Dallas - Austin Gurley
25. Dallas - Phillip Smith
26. Dallas - Fernanda Rossano
27. Denver - Tacy Rowland
28. Denver - Stuart Jensen
29. Denver - Austin Carson
30. Detroit - David Martinez
31. Detroit - Joe Robinson
32. Detroit - Dorothy Elizabeth Doughty
33. Hawaii - To Be Confirmed
34. Houston - Chris Morris
35. Houston - Justin Ware
36. Houston - Rebecca Burkart
37. Indianapolis - Michael Madison
38. Indianapolis - Michael Toscano
39. Las Vegas - Juyoung Kang
40. Las Vegas - Cody Fredrickson
41. Las Vegas - Roger Gillespie
42. Las Vegas - Julian Luna
43. Los Angeles - Daniel Sabo
44. Los Angeles - William Perbellini
45. Los Angeles - Bryan Wilson
46. Los Angeles - Shannon Stiggins
47. Los Angeles - George Fournier
48. Los Angeles - Brad Fry
49. Miami - Daniel Villa
50. Miami - Phil Khanderish
51. Miami - Bill Thompson
52. Miami - Will Rivas
53. Miami - Nick Mantzaridis
54. Milwaukee - Sheila Amdt
55. Milwaukee - Ed Hong
56. Minneapolis - Nathaniel Smith
57. Minneapolis - Kate Christianson
58. Minneapolis - Jeffrey Fricke
59. Minneapolis - Scott Crawford
60. Montreal - Samuel Trudeau
61. Montreal - Kate Boushel
62. Nashville - Freddy Schwank
63. Nashville - Carly Gaskin
64. National Accounts - To Be Confirmed
65. National Accounts - To Be Confirmed
66. National Accounts - To Be Confirmed
67. National Accounts - To Be Confirmed
68. National Accounts - To Be Confirmed
69. National Accounts - To Be Confirmed
70. New Mexico - Tom Street
71. New Orleans - Star Hodgson
72. New Orleans - Johnathan Shock
73. New Orleans - Konrad Kantor
74. New York City - Hemant Pathak
75. New York City - Matt Chavez
76. New York City - Luiz Hernandez
77. New York City - Channing Centeno
78. Philadelphia - Ben Hash
79. Phoenix - Matthew Martinez
80. Phoenix - Donna Francis
81. Portland - Tanis Orona
82. Portland - David Shenaut
83. Portland - Cassandra Ericson
84. San Antonio - Andy Hack
85. San Diego - Mike West
86. San Diego - Mike Yen
87. San Francisco - Mitchell Lagneaux
88. San Francisco - Andrew Meltzer
89. San Francisco - Julie Anderson
90. Seattle - Ryan Lobe
91. Seattle - Cameron George
92. Seattle - Andrew Dalan
93. Tampa Bay - Ryan Brown
94. Tampa Bay - Brenda Terry
95. Toronto - Chantelle Gabino
96. Toronto – Orlando Carreira
97. Vancouver – Aimee Corno
98. Vancouver – Luke O'Toole
99. Washington D.C - Lukas Smith
100. Washington D.C - Morgan Stana

ABOUT BOMBAY SAPPHIRE
BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® is the fastest growing premium Gin in the world and world's number one premium Gin by value.  BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is created with a unique combination of ten hand-selected botanicals, sourced from around the globe. The brand's global essence and signature vapour infusion process impart a refined and perfectly balanced taste, versatile enough for both classic cocktails and exotic recipes.  Infused with Imagination, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is a symbol of the exploration of worldly and sophisticated lifestyles. For more information, please explore www.bombaysapphire.com.

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©2016. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND ITS TRADE DRESS ARE TRADEMARKS.
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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.

SOURCE Bombay Sapphire

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