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2014
Tuesday
April
08

Slow Food Speakeasy

Ark of Taste Cocktail Competition

The Slow Food Speakeasy Ark of Taste Cocktail Competition is a celebration of American cocktail culture and the Ark of Taste at Terra Madre and Salone del Gustoheld in Turin, Italy, from October 23-27, 2014. Slow Food USA will conduct a contest to select four regionally representative cocktails made by mixologists who share Slow Food values. The winners will become official Slow Food USA delegates at Terra Madre and their cocktails will be featured prominently in Italy.

Basic Rules

 

The rules are simple. Anyone 21-years-old or over is eligible to enter and you do not need to be a professional mixologist to apply. Applicants must submit an original cocktail recipe that showcases any Ark of Taste product listed on the Ark of Taste USA online catalog. (e.g. Alaskan Birch Syrup, Meech's Prolific Quince or Shrub)Click here for the full list. The cocktail must celebrate both Slow Foodiness and local food culture. A winning cocktail can range from anything from a high-end martini to a low ball front yard concoction. When it comes down to it, the winning cocktails must taste really good! Applicants will also be required to explain why their cocktail is representative of the region they chose and explain their relationship with the Slow Food movement.

Specific Rules

We will select the 12 finalists based on the following criteria:

  • “Slow Foodiness” of the drink: meaning its commitment to Slow Food values, including use of spirits and mixers that are produced in a good, clean and fair manner.
  • Use of Ark of Taste USA ingredient(s)
  • Regional and cultural representativeness – with the region and culture the drink represents defined by the mixologist.
  • Party Ready: Drinks must be reasonably easy to prepare for large cocktail parties.
  • Taste: A panel of experts (to be named at a later date) will judge the drinks on taste, with their top 12 picks moving on to the final round of voting.

We will then launch an online-voting campaign, allowing our Slow Food USA community to select the four winners.

The winning mixologists selected will be part of the Slow Food USA delegation to Terra Madre. As delegates they will all be provided with complimentary Terra Madre campus-style lodging, with food and ground transportation included during the event. Additionally, airline travel from the U.S. to Turin, Italy, will be provided for each mixologist by Slow Food USA, as will the cost to ship and purchase any cocktail products that will be needed to reproduce the cocktails in Italy.

Important Dates:

  • April 30: Last day to apply.
  • May 15: Online “voting” among 12 finalists begins.
  • June 23: Winners will be announced.

Click here to apply.

For further information email us at speakeasy@slowfoodusa.org.