Martin Miller's Gin International Cocktail Competition

Lisandro with The Last Shaman CocktailMarcus with The River Martini (my favorite)Allen- Taiwan The Scented Sling cocktailGin drinks created by bartenders from all over the world? Yes please. When I was asked to judge the finalists in the Martin Miller's gin international cocktail competition and come to Iceland, my answer a resounding, "You bet!"Martin Miller's gin sent out a call to bartenders and mixologists from all over the world to submit a video and a recipe of their best gin cocktail recipe.They were all challenged to present a beverage that was inspired by where they lived. In addition, they were asked to conceive a creative presentation in the most imaginative and theatrical way possible. Needless to say, the finalists blew us away.Hundreds of entries were received, so weeding it down to the final four was no small task.Here are the 4 finalists that made the cut :Lisandro Rodriguez Araoz from Argentina - The Last ShamanLisandro's  cocktail, the Last Shaman, draws from the inspiration of the spirit world. Sourcing herbs from the mountains of his native Cordoba, Lisandro created an elixir with a nod to the union of man and nature.https://vimeo.com/110552891Allen Cheng from Taiwan - The Scented SlingHis cocktail embodied the noble traditions of eastern tea cultivation. It was a scientific and precise concoction perfectly measured and gently brewed over flames. Allen's cocktail perfectly captured the fragrances of of Taipei (a big surprise is that he proposed to his girlfriend on the trip which was very sweet).See Allen's video here:https://vimeo.com/110345919Marcus Muller from Germany - The River MartiniMarcus brilliantly filmed his cocktail while floating down the river. It is a sweet video and like his cocktail, loveable and clever. Using local elderberry, which grows every where near his home, and the local ice wine, his lemon verbena and a fragrant garnish made this one my favorite contender. I love this video because it has a very comical feel about it, but without intention. Marcus is a sweet soul and a great bartender.See Marcus' video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80l3q7juhqAGorge Camorra from Australia- The Outback NegroniGorge took a new approach to a classic Negroni by infusing herbal flavors of his homeland including eucalyptus leaves as a garnish. His video garnished the most laughs and was based on a cult horror classic film "Wolf Creek." Gorge brought lots of fun and personality to the competition, and his demo was by far the most amusing; the cocktail was not bad either.See Gorge's video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rSlTeTPGjI&feature=youtu.beNote: there were 2 more finalists one from Scotland, Alex, and Megan from London. They did not have a video to present, but their cocktails (Alex's herb scented martini and Megan's creative lemon mixer) were really fabulous. I would drink Alex's martini anytime.Megan showing us the recipe for her gin mixer  Alex demoing his deliciously fresh Martin's stroll through the garden martiniIn the end, Marcus' River Martini was judged the overall winner. But honestly, everyone did an amazing job. All winners in my book; I would happily order any of these cocktails of course with Martin Millers gin. Big thanks to all the bartenders. They were such fun and interesting people, and many thanks to Martin Miller's gin for taking me along with you.xxThis post is sponsored by Martin Miller's Gin all opinions are my own.