USBG Launches Cocktail Classique Competition Sponsored by Lucid® Absinthe

Marking the 12^th anniversary of the repeal of the ban on the sale of absinthe in the U.S., the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) March 5th kicked off the 2019 edition of the Cocktail Classique, a national cocktail contest sponsored by Lucid Absinthe Supérieure.

Open to any working mixologist across the country, the Cocktail Classique is searching for the most creative cocktails using Lucid Absinthe and the talented bartenders who have created them.  The grand prize winner will be awarded a trip to the Combier Distillery in the Loire Valley of France, where Lucid Absinthe is made according to traditional French methods. 

Once a core ingredient in most classic cocktails, absinthe was banned in the United States for 95 years. Following efforts by research scientist turned distiller T.A. Breaux, the ban was repealed in 2007, and Lucid Absinthe Supérieure became the first authentic absinthe to be legally available in the US.

“It’s fitting that we kick off the Cocktail Classique on National Absinthe Day,” said Keri Meuret, Brand Manager, Lucid Absinthe.  “On this day we celebrate the repeal of the absinthe ban in the U.S., and we can think of no better way than to help restore this spirit to its rightful place on the back bar.  Through our partnership with the USBG, we are building awareness among their members and the U.S. bartender community as a whole about authentic absinthes while encouraging them to find innovative ways to accent the botanicals at the core of this wildly versatile spirit.”

Interested applicants should create a unique recipe using at least ½ ounce of Lucid Absinthe and submit the recipe to https://usbartendersguild.formstack.com/forms/cocktail_classique_2019. Entries will be accepted March 5 through April 16 at 11:59 pm PDT. The field of entries will be evaluated by a panel of USBG experts.

Cocktails will be judged on appearance, aroma, creativity, taste, and ability to enhance, not overwhelm, the botanicals used in Lucid.

Twenty semi-finalists will be selected from across the United States and invited to compete in one of two live shake-offs scheduled in Houston, Texas, and Portland, Oregon. The top three participants from each semi-final will compete in the Cocktail Classique Finals in New Orleans in September. 

Additional information is available on Lucid’s Facebook page, the Lucid Website and the USBG website. 

For more information about Lucid Absinthe or Hood River Distillers, visit hrdspirits.com.