PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur Announces Grand Prize Winner of the Second "Are You Indispensable?" Cocktail Competition: Lacy Hawkins (Clover Club, Brooklyn, N.Y.) for Her Tequila Libation

NEW YORK, April 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --  PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, the original, all-natural pomegranate liqueur, today announces the winners of the second "Are You Indispensable?" Cocktail Competition. The grand prize winner is Lacy Hawkins (Clover Club, Brooklyn, N.Y.), who received a cash prize of $5,000 for her Persephone's Downfall cocktail that combined PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, Lunazul Blanco Tequila, lemon juice and Demerara syrup. The competition celebrated PAMA as the "indispensable modifier" that enriches cocktails and helps make bartenders indispensable at their jobs. The competition attracted recipe submissions from bartenders in 37 cities across the nation via ShakeStir.com.

"We were inspired to see the outpouring of creativity, passion and eloquence of our competition finalist bartenders," says Lynn House, PAMA National Brand Educator, Heaven Hill Brands.  "Lacy's winning cocktail was a symphony of bright flavors. There were complex notes of fruitiness, grassiness and even a saline element. PAMA brought its balance of sweetness and acidity and was the lynchpin that made everything in the drink work together harmoniously and to great effect."

"As a huge fan of Heaven Hill Brands, I was honored to present a PAMA cocktail and moved to see so many other people excited about working with this unique liqueur," says Hawkins. "I wanted to show how indispensable PAMA is in an interesting and delicious drink, something that I might order at a bar. My cocktail is sweet-tart, spicy and salty, with layers of texture, thanks to the sherry foam garnish."

The competition's second place and third place winners are David Bonatesta (Ward III, New York) and Brett Esler (Whisler's, Austin, Texas), who won $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.

The final competition was held at Seamstress, a newly-opened cocktail bar on Manhattan's Upper East Side headed by ace bartender Pamela Wiznitzer. It was judged by renowned spirits and cocktail authorities:

• Paul Pacult – Noted spirits critic and publisher/editor of The Spirit Journal
• Steve Olson – Founder of aka wine geek and renowned spirits, wine and cocktail expert
• Julie Reiner – Doyenne of cocktails and owner of Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club
• Kate Shapira Latts – Vice President of Marketing and a member of the third generation of the family behind Heaven Hill Brands, the parent company of PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

The winning cocktail recipes are as follows:

Grand Prize: Lacy Hawkins (Clover Club, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Persephone's Downfall
1 oz PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
1 ½ oz Lunazul Blanco Tequila
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz 2:1 Demerara syrup
2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire Shrub
Combine all ingredients in shaker, add ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Fine strain into a coupe glass and top with Fino sherry foam. To make the foam, combine 2 egg whites, 6 oz Fino sherry, ¾ oz honey syrup and a pinch of salt to an iSi canister. Charge twice with NO2 cartridges.

Second Place: David Bonatesta (Ward III, New York)
Coastal Breeze
¾ oz PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
1 ½ oz Larceny Bourbon
¾ oz Cocchi Rosa
½ oz Gran Classico Bitters
Add ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice, stir and strain into a cordial glass. Garnish with oils expressed from a lemon peel.

"When I first tasted PAMA, my mind immediately thought about creating an easy-drinking, aperitivo cocktail," says Bonatesta. "Since bourbon pairs well with PAMA, I used it as the base spirit, but I wanted to maintain the pomegranate flavor."

Third Place: Brett Esler (Whisler's, Austin, Texas)
Wintertime Remedy
1 oz PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
1 ½ oz Louis Royer "Force 53" VSOP Cognac
¾ oz Lustau East India Solera Sherry
1 whole organic egg
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass. Give a 20-second hard dry shake, add ice, and shake for another 8-10 seconds. Fine strain the cocktail with a mesh strainer into a cordial glass and add 1 red rose petal as a garnish.

"I was inspired to create an alternative to the typical hot toddy that could still achieve that same warming effect, while simultaneously highlighting a PAMA wintertime seasonal use," says Esler.

The competition's partner is ShakeStir.com, a leading online community for bartenders and mixologists. It was hosted by Hanna Lee Communications, Inc., an award-winning agency specialized in spirits, food, wine, and lifestyle PR and social media marketing. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Interviews with the winners and hi-res images of the winners and their cocktails are available.

About PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
The original, all-natural pomegranate liqueur, PAMA is the indispensable modifier that brightens cocktails and elevates them from the everyday to modern classics. By providing a delicately balanced sweet-tart flavor, silky texture and a vibrant ruby-red color, PAMA mixes exceptionally well with all spirits, both clear and aged, in cocktails ranging from aperitifs to nightcaps. PAMA's unmatched versatility helps transform aspiring home bartenders and seasoned mixologists alike into bar stars. For more information, please visit www.pamaliqueur.com and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pamaliqueur and follow us on Twitter at @heavenhill, @LiquidLadyLynn and #PAMA.

Media Contacts:
Hanna Lee or Jen Neugeboren
Hanna Lee Communications, Inc.
[email protected] 
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150407/197139

SOURCE PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur

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