The team at Patrón Tequila have launched their annual search to find the Margarita of the Year from bartenders around the world.
Now in its fourth year, the competition features seven new recipes offering a refreshing twist on the classic cocktail. The bartenders were challenged to design their own interpretations using a variety of fresh flavour combinations inspired by their own region.
Launched yesterday to tie in with International Margarita Day, it calls on people to vote for their favourite via MargaritaOfTheYear.com. The drink with the most votes will be announced on another day of Mexican celebration, Cinco de Mayo, on May 5.
The seven up for vote are:
- La Margarita with lychee and chia seeds, created by Jorge Ortega in Los Angeles
- Mediterranean Margarita with orange marmalade and sherry, by Yanaida Prado in Barcelona, Spain
- North End Margarita with tomato and thyme, by Stephen King in Boston
- Passion Fruit Margarita with passion fruit and jalapeño, by Aaron Joseph in Baltimore
- Salted Plum Margarita with plum and lemon, by Morita Masako in Osaka, Japan
- Skyline Margarita with cayenne chilli and blackberry shrub, by Megan Radke in Seattle
- Verde Margarita with celery and elderflower, by José Luis León in Mexico City.
David Alan, manager of trade education and mixology at Patrón Spirits, said: “Every year, this global search reminds us why the Margarita is such a mainstay on menus around the world. It’s inspiring to watch how these talented artisans take such an iconic drink to new heights. As the ‘Search for 2018’s Margarita of the Year’ proves, the cocktail’s possibilities are truly limitless.”
Recipes and tutorials about how to prepare them are available on the online Patrón Cocktail Lab at www.patrontequila.com/en-gb/cocktails/lab/intro.html and the Margarita of the Year website, which features videos and interviews with the participating bartenders, filmed at the Hacienda Patrón distillery in Jalisco, Mexico.
The site contains downloadable recipe cards as well as education about the history and evolution of the famous cocktail.
Last year’s winner was the Coralina Margarita with red wine and hibiscus, created by Riesler Morales of Mexico City. “I’m excited to taste the recipes that each of this year’s bartenders created for the chance to be named the 2018 Patrón Margarita of the Year,” Riesler says. “I love seeing the ingredients and inspiration the bartenders draw from their local regions to craft truly imaginative recipes – each one definitely has what it takes to wow Margarita drinkers around the world.”
As well as voting on MargaritaOfTheYear.com, people can vote on Instagram and Twitter by hashtagging the name of the Margarita, such as #MediterraneanMargarita. They can also vote by giving a “thumbs up” to their favourite on a series of videos due to be uploaded on YouTube.
The amount of sharing across social media channels will also be taken into account including re-tweets and pins about specific Margaritas. Consumers will also be invited to vote live at various Patrón-sponsored events over the coming months.
