THE
COCKTAIL
COMPETITION
HELD IN THE BAR
AT THE JEALOUS MONK
MYSTIC,CT
8PM - NOV 10TH, 2025
THE
A LETTER TO YOU,
DEAR BARTENDER
We’re so excited you’d like to enter the competition!
This page will give you all the info you need to get your recipe in front of our judges for the in-person showdown this fall.
Cocktails will be placed in 1 of 4 categories according to the primary spirit: LIQUEUR, GIN, RUM & WHISK(E)Y.
You can - if you'd like - submit 1 cocktail recipe per spirit category, allowing you a total of 4 entries.
Cocktails will be judged on 4 criteria: flavor, creativity, traditionalism & presentation.
The idea here is if you want to go crazy with the most left-field ahi tuna fat washed amaro mixture you will get rewarded with creativity points, but if you just want to share a really damn good French 75 combo you came up with then you’ll be rewarded for traditionalism - make something in between these two examples and get a few points in both creativity & traditionalism. Not just the most outlandish recipe will be chosen.
We break it down into three phases:
1 - Conceptual Phase
2 - Digital Semi-Finals
3 - Live In-Person Finals
BELOW ARE THE DETAILS OF EACH PHASE
CONCEPTUAL PHASE
TEXT BASED ENTRIES - IT ALL HAS TO START SOMEWHERE
All you need to do at this phase is come up with written ideas of what you'd like to share with us.
No purchase is necessary, this is just your best brainstorming session.
1. Provide us with the full & detailed list of ingredients, measurements, technique, serving rituals, garnish, glassware etc.
2. Recipes are allowed a maximum of 5 ingredients - homemade syrups, shrubs, bitters, etc. count as one ingredient. Garnishes are not counted.
3. Recipes need to be in one of four spirit categories based on the primary ingredient: LIQUER, GIN, RUM & WHISK(E)Y.
4. Recipes must use at least one of the sponsor brands listed below.
5. Name of cocktail must not be offensive.
6. Recipes must be submitted by September 14th, 2025.
Your recipe(s) will be sent to the featured panelists in each spirit category for a decision to be made.
DIGITAL
SEMI-FINALS
WHITTLED DOWN TO TWELVE
By the night of September 21st (♪do you remember?♪)
category judges will decide on three cocktails per category based on your submitted recipes, garnering a total of twelve semi-finalists.
If your cocktail is chosen you will be notified and asked to submit a video of you making the cocktail live with a description of your process, full garnish & presentation. This video must be submitted by October 3rd.
Four of the final twelve semi-finalists will be chosen and notified by October 12th. Those four finalists will be invited to join us at The Jealous Monk in Mystic, CT on November 10th at 8pm for the live in-person competition.
The finalists will be provided with a hotel room for that Monday night, free of charge.
The eight semifinalists who are not selected will be awarded with prizes & an honorable mention.
THE FINALS
THE JEALOUS MONK
MYSTIC, CT
8PM - NOV 10TH, 2025
The 4 finalists shake up their cocktails live on Monday, November 10th in front of our panelist judges as well as a consumer audience.
Judges will award up to 5 points per category:
Flavor, Creativity, Traditionalism & Presentation.
Additionally, contestants will pre-batch 30 servings of their cocktail, small portions of which will be distributed to the live audience who will also give each cocktail an overall score of 1 to 5.
(Finalists will be provided with or reimbursed for their ingredients - keep your receipts.)
Points awarded by the judges for the Flavor, Creativity, Traditionalism & Presentation categories will be added up along with the consumer score for a maximum total score of 25 - highest number wins!
THE PRIZES
NOT ALL FOR NAUGHT
FIRST PLACE:
Airfare for two to Barbados, a three night hotel stay and a private educational tour of Foursquare Distillery with Master Distiller Richard Seale.
SECOND PLACE:
A two night hotel stay in Brooklyn and private educational tour at Forthave Spirits.
THIRD PLACE:
An overnight stay in Boston with a private educational tour at Trillium Brewing & Distilling.
FOURTH PLACE:
An overnight stay in Mystic with a private educational tour at Veritable Distillery.
Finalists are provided with lodging on the night of November 10th and will be reimbursed for their ingredients.
All semi-finalists receive a t-shirt and a bottle of their choice from Veritable Distillery.