Last Monday, the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre in downtown Vancouver hosted the MadeWithLove National Mixology Competition Vancouver Finals, a competition where mixologists try to win over the public, media, and jury alike with unique and complex cocktail creations.

Sponsored by the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association (CPBA), the event welcomed regional winners from the Vancouver area to compete for a chance to represent Vancouver at the nationals that will take place in Montreal in July 2014, where they will put their talents to the test against bartenders from six major Canadian cities.

MadeWithLove’s aim is to “democratize mixology and cocktail culture with its trademark cocktail competition,” which is the largest in North America. Since December 14, 2009, MadeWithLove has held 25 competitions in several major cities across Canada. These competitions are one of the main events by which the CPBA aims “to foster community and promote the advancement of the profession of Bartending in Canada.”

Bartenders were tasked with making an original cocktail based on a designated alcohol. Dependent upon the alcohol received, bartenders experimented with drinks ranging from “The Maurice Kan-Rhubarb Float” — a strawberry ice cream float with Skyy Vodka and house-made vanilla-ginger-rhubarb syrup — to “The Details are in the Devil,” which combined Devil’s Cut whiskey with bitters, mint, and local honey gathered from the bartender’s own hives.

The night of the event saw a great mix of foodies and amateurs alike engaged in a festive atmosphere with drinks flowing and gongs chiming as bartenders received votes. Upon entry, each attendee was given a MadeWithLove dog tag, which they were to give to their favourite mixologist. The bartender with the most dog tags at the end of the night would be named the public’s choice, one of three winners along with the jury’s choice and the media’s choice.

Upon tasting the various cocktails, the jury was concerned with three things: presentation, originality and taste. When asked how they evaluated the different drinks, one of the judges replied, “Every sip is different. It’s an experience. You always ask at the end, ‘how was that experience?’”

As the night went on, there was no lack of energy in the atmosphere. Bartenders visited each other’s stations, giving their peers shoulder rides, taking off their shirts, and doing all they could to receive votes from the crowd. In addition to great drinks, food, and fun, those in attendance also received advice and step-by-step recipes from professional mixologists.

As the event reached a close, Pierre O. Trempe, the founder and director of MadeWithLove, announced the winners. The media’s choice was Keenan Hood from the Keefer Bar. His cocktail, the Siamese Slipper, won the media over with its Hendrick’s Gin, green tea, and lime juice combo topped with an absinthe-misted kiwi slice and an edible flower.

Shea Hogan from The Shameful Tiki Room emerged with the most dog tags, impressing the public with his Walker, a Canadian Club mix with lemon juice, grenadine, and Angostura bitters.

Joining him at the finals in Montreal next summer will be Mike Shum from the Fairmont Pacific Rim, who wowed the judges with his Roundhouse Kick. The drink, a concoction of Campari, vanilla Skyy Vodka, Mozart chocolate bitters and fresh mint and basil was finished with dehydrated Campari that had been baked overnight.

What really gave the Fairmont team the edge over their competition was their lively performance; the boys danced all night in MMA shorts, cruising the event with Texas Mickeys of Campari slung over their shoulders.

The judges noted this performance aspect when evaluating the competitors; “A lot of these guys have done cocktail competitions before and they’re fairly well versed in what they’re doing and they know how to put on a show.”