Sipsmith Gin Crowns Inaugural Cygnus Cocktail Champion
Sam Wilkes-Green, the first-ever crowned champion of Sipsmith Gin’s inaugural Cygnus cocktail competition. (Photo: Sipsmith Gin)
Sam Wilkes-Green, formerly of Manchester’s Arcane bar, has been crowned the winner of English gin brand Sipsmith’s first-ever Cygnus cocktail competition.
The U.K.-based competition, established earlier this year, invited bartenders to create an imaginative Sipsmith cocktail using their own unique style and preferences. The winner would go on to work with Sipsmith to craft a bespoke gin based on their cocktail’s flavor and botanical profile, as well as take home a percentage of their spirit’s profits.
This year’s winner, Wilkes-Green, took home the title on the back of his standout creation, “Dear Low Dykes”. The concoction combined Sipsmith V.J.O.P. and Sipsmith Lemon Drizzle Gin, making for a bright, punchy base with a hint of citrus and a slight bite.
At his childhood home in Cumbria, England, Wilkes-Green grew up surrounded by apple trees, bay trees and a clover-filled front yard. Drawing from these memories, his cocktail also included a homemade apple and bay leaf cordial, clover honey and a peppercorn aroma distillate. Finally, “Dear Low Dykes” is finished off with Clairin Agricole Haitian Rhum and a touch of Crémant de Loire sparkling wine.
In Wilkes-Green’s words, the end product is an ode to his childhood and a “love letter to an old house…with the balance, subtlety and care we have come to recognise from Sipsmith.” We’re sold!
(Photo: Samuel Wilkes-Green/Instagram)
“Dear Low Dykes” was crowned the winner by judges Erik Lorincz, founder of London’s Kwãnt bar; Joe Hoernig, Innovations Manager and Distiller at Sipsmith; and The Spirits Business deputy editor, Nicola Carruthers.
As his reward, Wilkes-Green will work with Sipsmith to create a bespoke gin that plays off the recipe for “Dear Low Dykes.” Per The Spirits Business, the finished product will be limited to 250 bottles and is slated for release in early 2024.
Find out more about Sipsmith and Wilkes-Green’s upcoming bespoke gin at www.sipsmith.com.
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