PREPARING FOR A COCKTAIL COMPETITION
I have talked about the psychology that is involved in entering a mixology competition, now I want to take the next step of preparing yourself properly for one. It is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Standing in front of a crowd is some people's biggest fear and it was mine for a long time. The hot bright lights beating down on you, beads of anticipation dribbling down your forward and the MC spewing any form of cheap "snake oil" sales pitch to the crowd. Its very daunting and only one of the many obstacles on the path to greatness.
Cocktail mixology competitions are a fantastic marketing tool for the alcohol companies, not only for bartenders, but also for the public. It is a chance for them to show their wares and give exposure this is one of their first flaws. The high-end cocktail bars are their best targets and they use them to their advantage. The downside to this is that the little person in the local pub sometimes is forgotten, so they are just using the ones that can sell their products.
The best way to find out about the upcoming competitions is to look on the internet. Your best tool is to Google it by looking on forums whether it is Drink boy (www.drinkboy.com), New York Bar Store (www.newyorkbarstore.com/forum) or any myspace group. Keep your ears out and your eyes open for posts and you will find some of the best competitions in mid sized bar to cut your teeth on. Do not ever go to the big show without playing in the minors first. Some of the big competitions will chew up any newbie, instead of spitting you out they will excrete you then flush you away.
You have been mixing up cocktails for a couple of years and you have a group of beautiful women who enjoy your latest creations and your impressive moves. They give you some fantastic tips and the boss loves you for bringing in all this business. You have found your first competition; you can feel your heart start racing when the company rep gives you the entry form. Your head starts swimming with ideas, ingredients and methods to make this drink or routine stand out.
For the next four weeks up until the deadline, you live and breathe your creation or you are routine. You try and perfect the skills you already have while still trying to break the mould and be better than everyone else. You make, taste, modify and then do it all again. You are looking for that perfect balance of flavours, that meshing of sweet, sour, strong and weak. However, remember the principle of KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. When you get in the finals and are up on stage, keeping it simple is all you want. The last thing you want to be doing is dashes and excessive muddling when you have four minutes to make five drinks.
You have your drink; it is a winner in your eyes, your customers and your bosses. They tell you it is the next Cosmopolitan or Margarita, the next big thing. You are ready to show the judges what you have come up with, ready to unleash it on the world. You send off your entry and wait with baited breath for a finals spot. It feels like an eternity waiting for an email or a letter telling you that you have made it to the big show. You are now the master of your own cocktail making destiny.
I do not know how I can stress this enough; the 6P's are your best friend. Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. You have had to work hard to get to this point; do not screw it up now. Always go into any competition as if you were walking into a new shift behind the wood. You would not jump behind the wood on a Friday night without your tools, why would you do it now. When I say that you need to be prepared, I am saying bring everything. Everything down to a vegetable peeler, anything you may or may not need. At the most stressful point of your night, you may need the weirdest of things. Make a list of everything you need to make the drink on the night then do a Santa Clause on it, check it twice.
Check with the conditions of the competition and find out what you need to bring in the form of mixers, extra alcohol and garnishes. Some competitions will supply everything, some do not. Take whatever you need and box it up and again check it again. Now you are ready to go to the big show baby, be pumped, be psyched, and get ready to rumble. See you up on stage.
You have made it to the show, congratulations! It is the morning of the competition and now you are just 12 hours from being in front of 200 plus people mixing your creation for the world. You have prepared endlessly, but are you ready for the spectacle that is the arena? (This really gets into the Zen of bartending, it exists..doesn't make sense) I am referring to the higher state of mixology and competing, some people think this is crazy talk but just wait, you will feel it.
You arrive at the competition with an entourage to rival Paris Hiltons. Your girlfriend and your best mates tag along to support you in your first step to bartending greatness. This is the first stage of the psychological aspect of the modern day mixology, the entourage. The entourage defines how popular the bartender is not only with his mates but also with the bartending community. If you walk into that arena with a great crew of people, you will automatically get respect from and intimidate the other competitors. On your down time, network as much as you can, go and visit different bars and befriend as many tenders as you can.
The next aspect is your preparation, if you walk into the competition unprepared people will know. Make sure you have double-checked everything that you need for the night including little things like bar cloths and a cutting board. Find yourself a nice private spot in the area set aside your kit, and then go get a drink. You are going to need it.
After you have yourself a nice cold beer and possibly a shot to calm the nerves and that interesting pang that is in your stomach, find the organiser and gather information such as start times, in what order everyone will be going on, and if there has been any changes to glassware or spirits. This is when the Zen of bartending comes into play; this is when you start mentally preparing before you hop up on stage.
About fifteen minutes before you go up on stage, find yourself a nice quiet spot and start setting up both your tools and your mind. It seems a little much saying that you need to prepare yourself before you get up on stage, but it is scary and daunting to be under bright lights in a big room with five hundred eyes on your every move. Some people will saying it is just like a Friday night but it is far from that. Friday nights hide your little flaws, your small spills and mistakes, up on stage everything is on display.
It is your turn, you're up on stage. Next to you someone struggles with the exact same feelings you have. The heart fluttering, the stomach churning and the overwhelming feeling are all things everyone experiences on his or her first time. You usually have about five minutes to make four cocktails, this seems like plenty of time but there seems to be a time space continuum as soon as you jump up in front of that crowd. The time goes so quickly and before you know it the buzzer sounds.
You have just popped your cocktail cherry; you are no longer a virgin to bartending holy grail. The hard part is over, now comes the judgement. This can take anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour depending on how long the host bar want to keep 200 hospitality staff drinking at their bar, anyone in the industry will know that we drink more than a decades worth of German Oktoberfest. The judges are usually made up of a representative of the alcohol company putting on the show, hospitality professional and a well-known female celebrity. They will deliberate over who is the victor.
Finally comes the time for the announcement, all the competitors file up on stage and wait anxiously for the call. Its you first time, so if you have not made the podium this time does not be disheartened. You have used the time to do valuable networking, seen how the experienced do it and have also had a fun time with like-minded people in the industry. If you did place in your first competition then congratulations on starting off with a bang. Keep up the good work and you will have more wins and experiences in the near future.