With a visit to Athens Bar Present and a visitor shift with Nick Strangeway up for grabs it was going to be a fiercely contested contest.
We visited the Hepple Distillery and surrounding lands final 12 months and enthused afterwards to anybody who would pay attention in regards to the beautiful landscapes that exist up there. This time we noticed them drenched with sunshine as a substitute of rain and you recognize what, even higher.
The opposite factor I remembered fondly from my final go to to the farm on which the Hepple Distillery hunkers was the hospitality. Now hospitality may not be higher within the sunshine however I’m going to say G&T’s are, particularly when bartender extraordinaire and Hepple founder Nick Strangeway, is in control of the gin pours.
So there we have been, stood in entrance of a land of rolling inexperienced topped by shiny blue sky, with a HEPPLE and tonic in hand, absentmindedly staring on the peak of a hill in entrance and realised the stresses of on a regular basis life have been slowly leaching away. Nicely, they have been for me anyway, the finalists appeared much less Zen being busy worrying about chilling their martini’s down and storing their garnishes someplace applicable.
Walter Riddell, proprietor of the Hepple Property and one of many Hepple Spirits founders, was, as at all times, readily available to assist out and as soon as he had launched the day and proven the rivals to the flowery trying tents that have been to be their houses for the evening it was time to get the day getting in earnest.
Earth, Wind & Liar
20 minutes and a bumpy Land Rover trip later we discovered ourselves on prime of that hill bathed in sunshine with barley a breath of wind to ruffle the hair, looking throughout the attractive Hepple Property able to chow down on the beautiful lunch unfold. Earlier than that nonetheless Hepple Advertising Boss Ashley Hunka introduced it was time for one more deal with.
Final 12 months’s winner Mikey ‘Warhol’ Robinson from Wild Tavern in London was readily available as a part of the esteemed judging panel. He was additionally there to unveil the primary bottling of his 2021 profitable recipe The Hepple Wild Martini. The pre-diluted pre-bottled martini aimed to ‘Transport drinkers to Hepple’s Fir Forests after the rain’, and was primarily based round two of Hepple’s distinctive botanicals of Douglas Fir and Inexperienced Juniper. It was a scrumptious martini and you could possibly see the finalists mentally evaluating it to their very own serves, would they evaluate effectively?
They didn’t have lengthy to attend as after lunch it was time to move to Martini Rock for the competitors factor of the day and time for me to make a confession to you expensive reader. I’ve lied to you 3 times already on this article.
Firstly, we weren’t on prime of the hill for lunch as I found as we hiked ever upwards over a mattress of heather to achieve the height the place Martini Rock resided. Secondly ‘barely a breath of wind’ was, after we reached the highest of the hill, a monumental fib. A few tables and chairs had been arrange by the Hepple Group that morning, by the point we arrived they have been at risk of being blown straight again right down to the distillery. It was the form of wind it’s a must to lean into to stay upright nonetheless while you’re doing that the view was actually one thing.
One of many stunning issues of the Final Martini competitors is that the drink is already pre-bottled and chilled. It merely must be poured from bottle to glass, garnished and served to the judges with a proof of the elements. A drink that may be served wherever…… effectively that was about to be examined.
The third lie was proper at first, ‘fiercely contested contest’ makes it sound like a battle. In precise reality the finalists have been all encouraging, serving to and supporting one another from the second we arrived, traits which have been definitely going to be wanted over the subsequent hour.
You’ve gotten met most of our judging panel within the type of Nick and Mikey who have been joined by the pleasant Fiona Beckett, an award-winning food and drinks author of many books in addition to for the likes of The Guardian and Decanter Journal.
It might have been a bit breezy however the solar was out and it was one of the vital stunning places we’ve seen for a cocktail competitors last, with these equally (effectively in some instances) stunning bartenders competing:
Markus Basset from Fallow in London together with his twist on a grimy martini that includes an oyster shell tincture and improbable lovage and anis seed vermouth.
Luke Riley from Mom Mercy in Newcastle constructed his martini across the melon notes he will get from Hepple with honeydew melon and Tokaji getting used.
Dionysios Tzorouchof of Manchester’s Science & Business used a wide range of elements together with Axia and sake however it was his do-it-yourself bitters (a mint and pine & orange) which shone.
Connor Knowles from Schofield’s in Manchester named his serve after the River Croquet which we missed and the mix of Hepple, vermouth and a celery seed distillate was fantastically balanced.
Paul Minea of Waldorf in London celebrated the soiled martini together with his drink revolving round an olive & rosemary tonic discount.
Lottie Barnard from Leed’s Domino Membership was a martini which was then infused with carrot tops giving the entire drink a improbable flavour and aroma.
All of the rivals did beautifully to get their drink within the glasses and a number of the garnishes appeared to defy the legal guidelines of physics as they have been introduced to the judges, who for his or her half have been by some means managing to carry down the drink, their judging sheets and on a couple of event themselves. It was a brilliantly enjoyable competitors last that everybody embraced wholeheartedly.
As Nick put it:
‘It was an enormous thrill to attempt the unbelievable vary of martinis that the finalists introduced to the judges of the 2022 Hepple Martini Competitors. It’s wonderful that such a seemingly easy drink can tackle so many fabulous nuances when put into the palms of such a proficient group of bartenders. In adversely windy, however remarkably heat situations, every of the rivals created their very own very private martini that was worthy of profitable the competitors. I can’t wait to go to every of them and take a look at their drinks once more in good situations, however undoubtedly with out such an incredible view. Thanks to everybody who took half.’
The Most Unique Gin Bar In The World?
Because the judges deliberated the remainder of us rapidly packed up, grabbed a few bottles of Mikey’s martini and a few glasses and began the stroll down from the highest of the hill and again to calmer waters. As we strolled by the Hepple Property with martinis in hand the animals which might be actually in control of the land got here to say hi there.
Firstly we have been welcomed by the Exmoor Ponies that Walter has launched to the land which created a lot pleasure and picture alternatives, subsequent up and receiving a much less enthusiastic response was one of many native snakes who determined we weren’t price bothering with after which lastly the lengthy horn cattle who’re my private favorite.
The finalists have been starting to get the total Hepple expertise which continued with every planting their very own juniper bush earlier than being handed a martini by Nick on the invite solely Martini Bar within the coronary heart of a bunch of juniper bushes, a few of that are tons of of years previous. It was that the bartenders have been put out of their distress because the winner was introduced.
Connor was victorious and shall be heading to one of the best Bar Present on the planet proper now in Athens (that award is unofficial and determined by BarLifeUK, we’re proper). He may even be leaping behind the bar in one of many metropolis’s greatest bars with Nick for a visitor shift. Whether or not that factor counts as a prize or punishment stays to be seen however both approach it’ll be a hell of an expertise.
Connor could have a ball in Athens however there was nonetheless an entire lot extra enjoyable to have at Hepple earlier than minds even started to marvel there. First up was a visit to the distillery to see the exceptionally proficient Hepple Distiller Chris Backyard who had been doing all of the exhausting work while we’d been having a jolly on prime of a hill. The fortunate group acquired to attempt liquids from the well-known three distilling processes and get an perception into the minds of these behind Hepple.
At the moment of 12 months that near the Scottish border it stays gentle till very late and everybody made this most of this with drinks from the bar and one other scrumptious meal earlier than the evening was consumed with tales and chat. By the point our taxi arrived (not sufficient tents for all, which my previous again was very pleased about) Nick had served upwards of 40 drinks which bodes higher for Conner in Athens than anticipated.
An enormous thanks as at all times to the Hepple crew for such a beautiful journey to a spot which at all times impresses. Additionally thanks to the finalists who have been excellent enjoyable all through the day and all placed on a hell of a present when serving up the drinks. All picture’s courtesy of Alex Griffin.
We look ahead to listening to all in regards to the Athens journey later within the 12 months. For now we are going to go away the final phrase to Walter:
‘I’ve at all times recognized how particular Hepple is as an area. It was simply unbelievable to see the finalists so engaged with the place; each martini they created for the competitors evoked the uncooked nature of Hepple vividly, and it was a pleasure to see how they imagined the land by their creations.’
Conor Knowles – Schofield’s Bar, Manchester
The Coquet
- 40ml Hepple Gin
- 15ml Schofield’s Dry Vermouth
- 15ml celery seed distillate
- 15ml distilled water
- 2 drops Regans Orange Bitters
Garnished with a minimize Celery Stick.
