Finlandia Vodka Cup

I recently had the immense pleasure of being a judge at Finlandia Vodka’s “Vodka Cup“. It was there that I talked to Ryan from Hamilton Street Grill again, and met half of the Voya team and got to drink some fantastic new cocktails.

Each mixologist made 3 different drinks, using a maximum of 5 ingredients in each. The winner from the Vancouver competition went to the North American Shake-off in Colorado Springs, and then overall winner from Colorado Spings gets to go to the 11th Annual International Finlandia Vodka Cup, which will be held at the Lainio Snow Village, above the Arctic Circle in Lapland.The Finlandia Vodka Cup arena, the “snow dome” is a construction of snow and ice, complete with a semi-circle ice bar. The pure Finnish nature provides amazing surruondings for the world’s best bartneders to show off their talents. I went to the summer Finlandia “Midnight Sun” event in the summer (where the sun didn’t set) and loved every minute of it. I’ll tell you about that soon.

And, you know, if I had the opportunity to go in February, I would, in a heartbeat!  I heard that Finland and Helsinki in the winter is gorgeous and dramatically and strikingly different than it is in the summer.

My favourite drink from each bartender had to be:

Colin MacDougall’s “long drink”

1 muddled peach (or 3 oz peach puree)
1 oz Finlandia Vodka
1 oz orgeat syrup
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz orange juice

Muddle all ingredients together, shake over ice and serve in a tall glass.

Trevor Kallies’ Cool Hand ‘Cuc’

2 oz Finlandia Vodka
1/2 kiwi, muddled
2″ peeled long English Cucumber
1 oz simple syrup
Ginger Beer

Muddle the kiwi & simple syrup, add vodka, shake over ice. Pour over ice, add ginger beer and garnish with cucumber.

Lori Poppe’s Marley Mule

1.5 oz sage infused Finlandia Vodka
.5 oz Benedictine
4 dashes peach bitters
3 oz fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice
1 oz ginger beer

Put all but ginger beer into a shaker, over ice. Pour into a tall glass, over ice and top with ginger beer.

Brian Grant’s (Vancouver Finlandia Vodka Cup Champion) “LL” Lyman

2 oz Finlandia Lime Vodka
Good scoop of Lemon Sorbet
Healthy splash of champagne

Build drink in a martini glass, starting with the Vodka, add the lemon sorbet and then add the champagne on top.

Colin Turner’s Candy Striper

1 oz Finlandia Vodka
.5 oz Cinzani Ornacio
1/2 oz Compari
1/5 oz fresh pomegranate juice
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Put all ingredients except for the pomegranate seeds into  a shaker, over ice. Pour into a martini glass and float seeds for garnish.

Ryan Cheverie’s Sami 75

1 oz Finlandia Mango
1/2 a pink grapefruit, juiced
1/2 oz ginger syrup
Dash of orange bitters
Top with sparkling wine

Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine in a shaker, over ice. Pour into your favourite glass and top with the sparkling wine.

(Images prodvided by Finlandia Vodka)