Omnivore - Taste of Atlanta’s 2011 Barcraft Competition

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• Arianne Fielder, Tyler Nelson

“I didn’t make it easy for them,” says Brittany Chardin, president of the United States Bartender’s Guild (USBG) Atlanta chapter. Chardin, who spent months organizing Taste of Atlanta’s 2011 Barcraft competition, observed intently as the young bartenders navigated the table of eligible ingredients at the Barcraft Finals last Sunday.

Contestants competed in similar events at local restaurants beginning in early October to qualify for the 2011 Barcraft competition that was held during this year’s Taste of Atlanta festival. Unlike the preliminary rounds, finalists were given no forewarning regarding the ingredients that would be available the day of the event, and were required to come up with original recipes on the spot.

“The coolest thing,” she says, “is finally getting together to watch your peers at work.” For finalists Arianne Fielder of Ormsby’s and Tyler Nelson of Leon’s Full Service “work” was particularly stressful that day. “I purposely left out gin and whiskey,” Chardin says, “and included obscure ingredients such as horn melon and tamarind.”

The finalists were given a period of fifteen minutes to survey the available spirits and ingredients, and to decide on a plan of action. Competition judges Andy Minchow of H&F, last year’s winner, Paul Calvert of Pura Vida and chef Shane Devereux of Top Flr were on hand, prepared to evaluate each bartender’s final cocktail based on four criteria: Originality of the name, Originality of the cocktail, Overall taste and Presentation. Sponsored by Fernet Branca, the event’s final kicker was that each bartender must include Fernet in their cocktail.