The Skinny Cocktail Column: March

On Sunday 13 February 2011 the first Edinburgh Gin Cocktail Competition was held at The HydeOut, Edinburgh. Competing mixologists were set the challenge of creating a cocktail using Edinburgh Gin as the base.

Judging this fiercely-fought contest were Iain McPherson (The Voodoo Rooms), Martin Duffy (56 North) and Ed Baird (Emporia Brands).

Competing were Greg Thornton (Hotel Missoni), Tomasz Sonecki (The Rutland), Cailin McGregor (Bond No.9), Leonardo Reeiro (The Rutland), Dean Evans (Tiki Bar and Kitsch Inn), David Smillie (The Blythswood Hotel), Rebecca Hand (Montpeliers of Bruntsfield), Grant Neave (Monteiths), Will Cox (The Villager), Zane Kalnina (HydeOut) and Paul Forsyth (HydeOut).

And the winners were...

1st Dean Evans, Tiki Bar and Kitsch Inn
2nd David Smillie, The Blythswood Hotel
3rd Cailin McGregor, Bond No.9

Winning Cocktail: Midgie Bite by Dean Evans

45ml Edinburgh Gin
20ml pressed apple juice
15ml blackberry & raspberry vinegar*
15ml raspberry syrup**
1 egg white

Method

Add all the ingredients to the shaker. Dry shake it, and fine strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish with 3 pickled berries on a cocktail pick.

* To make vinegar, reduce 500ml of red wine vinegar to 300ml with 60g blackberry pulp & 80g raspberry pulp and add 60g castor sugar. Sieve out pulp through muslin cloth & store in a jam jar with fresh raspberries & fresh blackberries. Refrigerate.

** To make raspberry syrup bring 200g fresh raspberries to the boil with 500ml water and 15ml peychaud bitters, sieve out pulp through muslin cloth bottle & refrigerate.