Yorkshire bartenders have been invited along with others from across the UK to find their inner Icelandic spirit, putting their ingenuity to the test by creating nature-inspired cocktails. Finalists will then battle it out, in real life, in the ultimate cocktail making competition – The Reyka Expedition 2021 – to win a once in a lifetime trip to Iceland, the home of Reyka Vodka.
Taking place in the Lake District, the competition will climax with teams of bartenders coming together from across the UK to embrace secret challenges and adventures as part of their quest. At the end of the journey, competitors will work together to design and create cocktails using ingredients found, foraged and won on their expedition. The free-to-enter competition culminates in a huge Viking-style feast over an open fire at the Lake Coniston base camp, nestled within the surrounding woodland.
The Reyka Expedition will take place on 6th and 7th September 2021 and will be formed of six teams of four bartenders representing all regions of the UK. To be in with a chance to win a place on the Reyka Expedition, Fab Latham, the Reyka Vodka Brand Ambassador, has set bartenders the task of creating a Reyka Vodka cocktail inspired by their favourite moment in nature.
“We want bartenders to really let their creativity run wild this year,” explains Fab Latham. “They can take inspiration from their own experiences, such as sitting around a campfire, or walking through a forest after it has rained. Alternatively, they could draw inspiration from the myriad of natural processes that exist in nature – things like the changing of the seasons, ebbing tides, photosynthesis, or the weather… The possibilities are endless.
“The judges (@Bar_average) and I want to be able to clearly connect the nostalgic inspiration of these moments via the use of ingredients, garnish and vessel.”
How to enter
- Create a cocktail using Reyka Icelandic Vodka inspired by a particular moment in nature;
- Send your name, bar & location, recipe, a photograph of your drink and some details explaining the inspiration to [email protected] by 11th August 2021;
- Full T&Cs can be found at www.reyka.com.
Key Dates
- Entries open | 26th July – 11th August;
- Shortlist created and bartenders notified | 16th August;
- The Reyka Expedition | 6th – 7th of September.