Patrón Tequila Margarita of the Year – Part 1

There are some contests that just seem like a waste of time and resources, like professional hotdog eating. Seriously, why would you dunk a perfectly good hotdog in a bucket of water and try to eat as many as you can in as little time as possible?! Useless. Then there are the contests that actually accomplish something spectacular… like Patrón Tequila’s annual Margarita of the Year contest. Pitting some of the world’s best mixologists against each other to create the best tasting margarita recipe?! Whoever came up with this idea is clearly a genius. Last year I personally introduced you to the winning Rosa Picante Margarita and let me tell you, it was by far the best tasting margarita of my life. So when given the opportunity to share with you the 2017 competition, it was a no-brainer. There is so much deliciousness this year, that I couldn’t fit it all into one post. So, I’ve broken it down into Part 1 & 2. Part 1 is going to cover the awesome festivities that kicked off the contest in Mexico. Part 2, which will be posted shortly, will give you the actual finalist margarita recipes to try yourself. Without further ado, let’s get to the party!

On February 22nd, which happens to be International Margarita Day, Patrón kicked off their global quest for best Margarita with an amazing celebration at the Hacienda Patrón distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. Seven top bartenders from around the world served their own interpretations of a perfect margarita, showcasing Patrón Tequila and drawing from local ingredients and cultural inspiration. The seven recipe finalists are:

• “English Garden Margarita,” with green peas and earl grey, created by Sophie Bratt from London
• “Mumbai Margarita,” with mango and Indian spices, by New York City’s Hemant Pathak
• “Tropicante Margarita,” combining mango and fresh avocado, created by Alexander Kady from Denver
• “Coralina Margarita,” with red wine and hibiscus, by Mexico City’s Riesler Morales
• “Tiki Rita,” with grapefruit and tiki spices, by Mindy Kucan from Portland, Oregon
• “Pacific Rim Margarita,” with coconut and jalapeño, by Max Greco from Sydney, Australia
• “High Plains Drifter Margarita,” created with charred pineapple and sage, by Atlanta’s Shaun Gordon

Check out all the kick-off festivities below and make sure to come back for Part 2 of our coverage where I’ll detail the actual recipes for you to mix yourself.

The best part of this whole process? Patrón has partnered with Cocktail Courier for Margarita of the Year, allowing you to buy your own kits to recreate the finalist cocktails. Clearly, the genius who came up with the contest also touched this little gem of an idea with some magic. Plus, you have until April 9th to cast your own vote for the winning cocktail at MargaritaOfTheYear.com. Special thanks to Patrón Tequila for giving us a peek at the festivities. Make sure to check back soon for Part 2: The Recipes!