A bar tender at Rockliffe Hall, near Darlington, has been short-listed for a top cocktail making award after creating a unique tequila-based drink that’s causing a stir at the award-winning 5 AA red-star resort.
21-year-old Thomas Moore, from Catterick, developed the drink after the firm, Tequila Patrón, announced they were looking for a Perfectionist bartender who puts the same passion, care and precision into crafting their cocktails, as the company does into producing its drinks.
Thomas submitted the ingredients, method and description for his creation, “The Pamplemousse Zingarita”. His cocktail was short-listed for the first round and a mystery judge visited Rockliffe Hall in October to try his creation.
The top ten cocktails will be profiled and celebrated in The Perfectionist’s Yearbook 2016, which will be distributed nationwide, bringing national and even international recognition to Thomas’ drink. Next, the short-listed drinks will be pitted against each other to find an overall winner, who will be jetted off to the Hacienda Patrón in Mexico in February, to see the tequila being produced.
Thomas says: “I’m really excited to have been short-listed to feature in the special book and can’t wait to find out if I’m going to Mexico! I love my job – what’s not to like about creating delicious cocktails? My new drink is based on the old favourite, Margarita. The classic cocktails are classics for a reason so I didn’t want to mess around with it too much. But there’s certainly a spicy twist to it!”
What’s so unique about Thomas’ new cocktail is the special salt he puts on the rim of the glass – a combination of Himalayan pink salt mixed with lime zest and chipotle. The flavours are left to infuse for two days to give an incredible zing! The cocktail itself is a mixture of Patrón Anejo tequila, pink grapefruit liqueur, a special sugar syrup, served ice cold.
Shaun Corrigan, Old Hall Food and Beverage Manager at Rockliffe Hall, says: “This is great news for Thomas, it’s a fabulous achievement. He’s an incredibly creative cocktail maker. He has an excellent understanding of which flavours work well together, and a keen eye for what looks fantastic in the glass. Cocktail making is a real art!”
Thomas will go head to head with the other short-listed bar tenders later this month.
For more details or booking information, contact www.rockliffehall.com or call 01325 729999.