Patrón Tequila on search for ‘Margarita of the Year’

Patron Tequila has called upon the talents of seven international bartenders in search for the Patrón 2017 “Margarita of the Year”, following International Margarita Day on 22 February.

Sophie Bratt, bartender at London’s OXO Tower Restaurant

In pursuit of its “Margarita of the Year,” Patron invited seven bartenders to its Hacienda Patrón distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, to create their own interpretations of a perfect Margarita, drawing from local ingredients and cultural inspiration.

Those seven recipes, showcasing the versatility of Patrón tequila, were unveiled at International Margarita Day events in New York, Sydney, London, and Mexico City. Sophie Bratt of London’s iconic OXO Tower Restaurant is the UK entrant, who created the English Garden Margarita in hope of becoming the 2017 Margarita of the Year champion. Her English Garden Margarita is available at every Harvey Nichols Bar and the OXO Tower Restaurant itself.

“For years the margarita has been the most popular cocktail in the US and for good reason given the tremendous creativity we’ve seen, particularly in the last several years as culinary and mixology trends have intersected,” said Lee Applbaum, Patrón’s global chief marketing officer.

“What’s really quite exciting to see is how much the Margarita’s reputation has grown globally as local flavors and styles have been integrated into this iconic cocktail. Today, ‘International Margarita Day,’ is a perfect time to begin our 2017 search for the ‘Margarita of the Year,’ a global celebration of the margarita, perfected by Patrón.”

The seven bartenders competing for the title are:-

● “English Garden Margarita,” with green peas and earl grey, created by Sophie Bratt from London
● “Mumbai Margarita,” with mango and Indian spices, by Hemant Pathak of New York City
● “Tropicante Margarita,” combining mango and fresh avocado, created by Alexander Kady from Denver
● “Coralina Margarita,” with red wine and hibiscus, by Mexico City’s Reisler Morales
● “Tiki Rita,” with grapefruit and tiki spices, by Mindy Kucan from Portland, Oregon
● “Pacific Rim Margarita,” with coconut and jalapeño, by Max Greco from Sydney, Australia
● “High Plains Drifter Margarita,” created with charred pineapple and sage, by Shaun Gordon from Atlanta

“The history and evolution of the margarita is as fascinating as the drink itself, and it’s been enlightening to taste over the years so many different riffs on this classic cocktail,” says David Alan, Patrón’s Manager of Trade Education & Mixology.

“The margarita is a unique drink, both rustically simple and extraordinarily versatile – a crowd-pleaser, yet not a one-taste-fits-all experience. Patrón’s search for ‘Margarita of the Year’ brings all of this together in one place.”

The three cocktails that receive the most votes online will be will be announced on April 10 as the finalist contenders, with the winning “Margarita of the Year” set to be announced on 17 April, in time for Cinco de Mayo.