Owen Hughes wins Bols Foam cocktail competition
It was open to all bartenders here and entrants had to submit an original recipe using at least one of the Bols Foam Liqueurs. Owen’s winning cocktail, ‘Lucas’s Banana Split’, comprised:
- 3cl Stolichnaya Vodka
- 1.75 cl Bols Crème de Cacao-White
- 1,75 cl Galliano Liqueur
- 1 Barspoon of Honey
Method: Place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with chocolate-covered banana slices. To finish, add a generous layer of Bols Banana Foam on top of the cocktail for aroma and aesthetics.
The winning recipe is named after Lucas Bols, the founder of the Bols company (which has been in Amsterdam since 1575) and Owen’s prize was a visit to the Bols Bartending Academy in Amsterdam, Holland. Those placed second and third were also presented with prizes ncluding Bols Foam Liqueurs in three flavours: Cassis, Banana and Blue Curacao. Brian McGuinness, Brand Manager at Barry and Fitzwilliam, presented the prizes.?
Together with the winner of the Bols Natural Yoghurt Liqueur competition, Szabi Sandor from the Village at Lyons, County Kildare, Owen visited the Academy, Europe’s most advanced Bartending Academy. It offers a full range of professional bartending and bar management courses at all levels, with the programmes developed in cooperation with specialists from the International Bartender Network.
Their own course consisted of sensory analysis and a tutored tasting of a range of Bols Liqueurs. It included demonstrations by Malika Saidi, the Bols trainer, followed by various practical exercises behind their fully-equipped bar and was followed by a tour of the House of Bols – the cocktail and Genever experience.
Also present on the course were BAI President Andrew O’ Gorman and BAI Treasurer Declan Byrne.
Lucas Bols commenced distilling in 1575 and today there are 27 high-quality Bols Liqueurs produced and exported to over 100 countries. The Bols website has a database of over 11,000 drink recipes supported by bartenders from around the globe, including Irish bartenders.
