When you think about bartenders competing in prestigious international cocktail competitions, you automatically think of top-level bars in big cities like Amsterdam, Brussels or Antwerp. In Diest, a small market town in the east of Belgium, you will find a restaurant called “De Nieuwe Haan” (“The New Rooster”). The owner’s son is Jules Verlinden. In the restaurant he works front of house, but his true passion is developing amazing cocktails. In 2019 I was part of the jury for the Amaro Montenegro BeLux cocktail competition. I was very happy to send Jules to the global finals in Italy with the ‘Monterinha’ cocktail. This weekend I visited the restaurant to taste ‘Victoria’, his entry for the Patrón Tequila Perfectionist cocktail competition.
In cocktail competitions you need a combination of a delicious cocktail and a good entertaining story. The cocktail must be replicable in bars all around the world and the story needs to be a perfect match with the cocktail. Not just any fairy-tale will do. Jules matches the Victoria cocktail to the history of ‘Cinco de Mayo’. The holiday remembers the battle between Mexico and France. On May 5, 1862 the Mexican soldiers won the battle at Puebla from the much larger French troops. Jules used Mexican and French spirits in his drink and even the smoked salt on the rim reminds of the ashes on the battlefield. The name Victoria stands for Victory… and is also a hopeful reminder that the end of the current pandemic might be coming soon. In my opinion this is a solid match.
In this drink you start with the earthy pear, followed by the Tequila with keeps going for a while. My only concern for this creation was the limited aroma in the nose, probably caused by the very large icecube in the serve. Jules agreed and will try to use a smaller cube for the competition. Since we’re still under corona-rules, the competition is completely remote and the cocktail will be prepared by another bartender, following Jules’ instructions. When the jury judges the drink itself, they will always judge on taste, aroma and presentation.
We also tasted a few other original creations on the menu. He improved the Monterinha which now brings a pretty different experience with an eggwhite layer. But I was most amazed by his interpretation of the Mojito. This is a cocktail I normally don’t like at all. In most bars you get an awful sweet and sticky drink that you can hardly call a cocktail. It’s just sugar, rum and ice with a pinch of lime. Jules created a totally new drink, served as a Martini, reconstructed with all the flavors that should go in a Mojito. On the menu you will find versions with and without alcohol. I tasted both. This is next-level mixology. It was a very positive surprise. And you should see the faces of the customers when they get this serve instead of the “highball glass filled with crushed ice” they expect 😉
Extra tip when you want to visit Jules to sample a few cocktails. His father Dirk (actually an old friend of mine) is the owner and Chef of the restaurant. I highly recommend his cooking. After our tasting we enjoyed a great lobster and Chateaubriand dinner with a view at the bar where all the action was going on.
Thanks Jules, we had a great evening.
Wishing you all of luck with the Patrón competition.
Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.
