Bartender.ie

GENERAL
1) The National Cocktail Competition (NCC) is open to all bartenders working in the Republic of Ireland.
2) To mark the 40th Anniversary of the Bartenders Association of Ireland, the NCC 2012 will be limited to a maximum of forty (40) competitors.
3) Entries will be accepted from January 3rd to January 19th but may close early if oversubscribed. Early entry is advised and encouraged.
4) In the event that entries exceed forty (40), preference will be given to BAI members, NCC competitors from 2011 & 2010 and those bartenders that enter early.
5) The National Cocktail Competition consists of four (4) Competitions - Before Dinner Cocktail Competition, Long Drink Competition, Fancy Cocktail Competition and After Dinner Cocktail Competition.
6) The exclusive sponsor of the NCC 2012 is Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd.
7) The BAI reserve the right to reject any competitor, recipe or recipe name considered unacceptable for the competition.
8) It is the responsibility of each competitor to ensure their recipe is within the rules.
9) All cocktail recipes submitted will become the property of the BAI & Edward Dillon.

ENTRIES & RULES
1) Entrants are required to submit an original recipe containing at least one (1) ingredient from the Edward Dillon portfolio (see product list here).
2) N.B. ENTRIES WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ON THE OFFICIAL ONLINE ENTRY FORM AVAILABLE HERE AT WWW.BARTENDER.IE from 3rd Jan 2012.
3) Submit your recipe online before the closing date (19th January 2012).
4) You may only enter one cocktail recipe.
5) All entries will be acknowledged by an automated response, resend if you do not get this automated response. If you still do not receive a response then email baipresident @ gmail . com immediately.
6) Successful online entry does not guarantee acceptance in the competition, see General Rules 2 & 3 above.
7) Recipes must be entered in a particular competition category. The categories are: Pre-dinner (No more than 2cl of sweetened product), Long Drink, Fancy Cocktail (garnish & glass important) and After Dinner.
8) Cocktails should contain no more than 7cls of alcoholic product(s) in total.
9) Recipes shall be expressed in centilitres, divided in respectively whole numbers (1cl, 2cl, 3cl, etc.) and/or half numbers (0.5cl, 1.5cl, 2.5cl, etc.), dashes and/or drops being the smallest quantities.
10) Recipes should contain at least two (2) but not more than four (4) alcoholic ingredients.
11) There should be only one base spirit used (i.e. brandy, gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, etc.).
12) The base spirit must be from the Edward Dillon portfolio.
13) The other ingredients, must therefore be utilized as flavouring modifier (i.e. BOLS liqueurs, Giffard syrups, juices, bitters, etc.). No more than six (6) ingredients including dashes and drops.
14) Ingredients may be poured with a measure and/or freely poured. We recommend the use of a measure to ensure accuracy for judging. The technical judge’s decision is final.
15) Competitors may choose from the following methods to prepare their cocktails: build (directly in glass), stir (mixing glass), shake (strain or double strain), or blend (you must supply the blender), muddling or a combination of the above.
16) Competitors are required to bring their own bar utensils & equipment to prepare the cocktail. This includes ice crushers, shakers, tongs, strainers, etc.
17) Competitors are permitted to bring their own glass for the fancy drink category only.
18) The glassware kindly provided by BUNZL McLaughlin for our competition is as follows:
       i. Single Martini Glass (15cl/5oz) for Pre-dinner,
      ii. Slim Jim/Hi-ball (31cl/10¼oz) glass for long drink,
     iii. Double Martini Glass (30cl/10oz) for after dinner or fancy category,
     iv. Fancy cocktail competitors may bring their own glass.
19) Our exclusive NCC sponsor, Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd, will provide a vast range of products from their portfolio. See product list here.
20) NO heated ingredient is to be used.
21) Any substitutions or questionable ingredients must have the approval of the BAI President prior to competition commencement.
22) The cocktail recipe entered MUST be the cocktail made on stage. No substitutions or amendments can be made on the day of the competition.
23) A range of Giffard flavoured syrups are provided for your use. See available flavours here.
24) House specific or homemade ingredients are NOT permitted.
25) Dairy products shall consist of milk or cream only. Egg white is permitted. Ice cream is not permitted.
26) The BAI request all competitors to use brands that support our association during 2011 & 2012 such as BOLS Liqueurs, Finest Call mixes and Giffard Syrups.
27) Directly competing brands from other distributors are not permitted.
28) All garnishes must be prepared in the garnish preparation area only. Any kind of pre-fixed garnishes (partly prepared elsewhere) may be taken out of the competition and the contestant involved may risk being eliminated from the competition.
29) There will be two judges monitoring the garnish preparation area. Only competitors called to the prep area will be allowed entry. Penalties can be imposed by the garnish judge. Ingredients brought to the competition will also be inspected by garnish and technical judges.
30) The time allowed for the preparation of the garnishes is fifteen (15) minutes.
31) Food dyes shall not be allowed.
32) Products (such as cocktail sticks, etc.) may be used to fix the garnish to the glass.
33) Condiments such as: salt, sugar, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, chocolate decoration like sprinkles and others, which are commonly used, shall be allowed.
34) All entrants must be able to speak English.
35) Prizes are not inter-changeable and there is no cash alternative.
36) Entrants must be 18 years or over.
37) Participation confirms acceptance of these rules.
38) Judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
39) The winner will be expected to participate in follow-up promotional activity after the competition and throughout the same calendar year. This may include but not restricted to being photographed and interviewed.
40) All cocktails entered become the property of BAI & Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd.

BASIC FORMAT
1) Competitors may enter only one of the four categories.
2) Competitors will be required to make four (4) portions of their entered cocktail recipe in round one and a further four (4) should they qualify for the final so please bring enough garnish/ingredients for each round.
3) The sequence of competitor’s shall be announced at the competitors briefing 10.30am on day of competition.
4) The highest scoring competitor from each category will qualify for the final.
5) The final will take place immediately after the four finalists are announced.
6) Competitors shall present himself/herself in professional attire. Acceptable is: BAI uniform or BAI Green Tie or BAI Navy Tie or classic bartender’s uniform or similar respectable clothing.
7) The uniform must not carry any brands from drink manufacturers other than brands from Edward Dillon Ltd.
8) Each Competitor shall be limited to seven (7) minutes for making their cocktails. Competitors that exceed the time limit will be penalised.
9) When instructed competitors must step back from their work station or face being disqualified. They must not approach their cocktail again.
10) Cocktail and technical points will be combined in both rounds.
11) Scores obtained in the first round by a competitor will not be added to the scores in the final. All finalists therefore will enter the final round on a blank score-sheet.
12) In the final, each competitor is required to reproduce their entered recipe as per round 1.
13) In the final, competitors will be judged by the technical jury again, as per round 1.

Certificates will be awarded as follows:
• National Cocktail Champion 2012
• National Pre-Dinner Cocktail Winner
• National After Dinner Cocktail Winner
• National Long Drink Winner
• National Fancy Cocktail Winner
• National Hygiene & Technical Efficiency Winner

Entries will be accepted from 3rd-19th January 2012 (see General Rules 2, 3 & 4 above).The BAI reserve the right to amend, alter or change the format and rules without notice to facilitate Edward Dillon Ltd., Eventhaus Organisers of FOOD+BEV LIVE 2012 or to ensure the smooth running of the competition.