Annual Masters of The Craft Competition
In partnership with parent company Marriott International hotels, The Phoenician hosted its annual Masters of the Craft Beverage and Culinary competitions on May 17 and 18, 2019, bringing together eight different Phoenician associates for some fun, fearless competition.
Day one started off with the beverage competition, allowing mixologists from the AAA Five Diamond resort to highlight their cocktail skills, while day two consisted of culinarians presenting their experience with food and flavors. Both competitions were overseen by a panel of accomplished judges, yielding two winners who will move on to the next round of regional competitions.
WHAT IS MASTERS OF THE CRAFT?
Masters of the Craft is a series of competitions that showcase the extraordinary culinary and beverage talent within Marriott International hotels. The first round of competitions begins at the property level, where internal associates are able to compete against their colleagues for the chance to move on to the next round of the larger Marriott competition.
Within each event, there is a mystery ingredient that the culinarians and mixologists must use in their final dish or cocktail. Each competition is organized in the “cook-off” style, containing time limits and a panel of judges.
Selected winners from the on-property hotel rounds earn the chance to compete at the regional level, with regional victors moving on to semifinals for the chance to compete in the finals. Along the journey, dishes and beverages are critiqued by guest judges for presentation, creativity, taste and showmanship.
MASTERS OF THE CRAFT: BEVERAGE COMPETITION
At The Phoenician, three mixologists participated in the Masters of the Craft Beverage Competition, which was held at the bar of J&G Steakhouse on May 17, 2019. Each competitor had seven minutes to shop the pantry and set up their bar, then seven minutes to craft their beverage and present one to each judge. While kumquat was the mystery ingredient required to be utilized in each drink, the mixologists also had a plethora of items from the “pantry” to choose from, including:
Fresh fruits
- Citrus – Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit
- Tropical – Pineapple, Banana
- Berries – Strawberry, Blackberry, Blueberry
- Apples
Juices – Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Cranberry, Apple, Coconut Water
Vegetables – Cucumber, Ginger, Jalapeno, Poblano
Herbs – Mint, Rosemary, Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Spices – Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon
Fruit Purees – Strawberry, Peach, Pear, Mango, Apricot
Syrups – Simple Syrup, Brown Sugar, Honey, Maple Syrup, Prickly Pear Syrup
Other Items – Egg Whites, Heavy Cream, Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, White Vinegar
Fully stocked bar
Bitters – Angostura, Peychaud’s, Barrel-Aged, Lemon, Orange, Peach, Hopped-Grapefruit, Rhubarb, Aztec Chocolate
At the end of the competition, Brian Hawkins came out on top with his cocktail named “7th Sense.”
COMPETITORS
Brian Hawkins (WINNER)
BARTENDER – J&G STEAKHOUSE
Cocktail: 7th Sense
Commerce Gin, Lillet Blanc, Diplomatico White Rum, Velvet Falernum, Kumquat-Ginger & Citrus juice
Robert Porter
BARTENDER – J&G STEAKHOUSE
Cocktail: Aztec Blood
Johnnie Walker Scotch, LBV Port, Four Peaks Kilt Lifter, Kumquat, Strawberry, Jalapeno, Agave, Pineapple Juice, Aztec Chocolate Bitters
Peter Hicks
BARTENDER – KALIO KABOBERY
Cocktail: Honey Badger
Commerce Gin, Averna Amaro, Honey-Ginger-Kumquat Shrub, Orgeat & Eggwhites
JUDGES
From left to right
- Taylor Chandler – Assistant Manager, J&G Steakhouse
- Lisa Mercer – Director of Food & Beverage at The Phoenician
- Chef Rick Boyer – Executive Chef at The Phoenician
- Jared Sowinski – Director of Beverage at The Phoenician
- Jonathan Miller – Winner of the 2018 Master of the Craft Cocktail Competition, Banquet Bartender
The Competition
For the Masters of the Craft Culinary Competition at The Phoenician, five competitors accepted the challenge and presented their culinarian skills at various workstations in the Mowry & Cotton Salon on May 18, 2019. Each chef had five minutes to shop the pantry, then 30 minutes to create and present a taster for each judge, as well as a “show plate”. The mystery ingredient required to be utilized in each dish was American Red Snapper and the culinarians had access to a fully stocked pantry including:
- Meats & Seafood
- Bacon, Pork Belly, Spanish Chorizo
- Razor Clams, Mussels, Scallops, Prawns, Crab Meat
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Pineapples, Lemons, Avocado, Grapefruit, Oranges, Limes
- Celery, Carrots, Cabbage, Radishes, Beets, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Corn, Capers, Asparagus, Potatoes, Peppers, Onions, Squash, Zucchini, Corn, Kale, Arugula, Spinach, Mushrooms, and More
- Grains & Nuts
- Polenta, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Orzo, Wild Rice, Beans
- Sunflower Seeds, Walnuts, Almonds, Pepitas, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Almonds
- Herbs & Spices
- Thyme, Basil, Chives, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Sage, Dill, Mint, Italian Parsley, Cilantro
- Salt, Himalayan Salt
- Dairy
- Eggs, Butter, Whole Milk, Heavy Cream, Sour Cream, Goat Cheese, Feta Cheese, Buttermilk
- Other
- Clam Juice, Coconut Water, Coconut Milk, Tomato Juice, Olive Oil, Various Vinegars, Sriracha, EVOO,
- Various Beers, Wines and Spirits
After the final tastings, Brian Bravman won the competition with his exquistely handcrafted dish.
COMPETITORS
- Brian Bravman (WINNER)
SOUS CHEF AT THE PHOENICIAN – J&G STEAKHOUSE - Thomas Grimm
SOUS CHEF AT THE PHOENICIAN – THE PHOENICIAN TAVERN - Matt Lavoie
CHEF DE PARTIE AT THE PHOENICIAN – MOWRY & COTTON - Steven Mills
COOK I AT THE PHOENICIAN – J&G STEAKHOUSE - Dante Gibson
CHEF DE PARTIE AT THE PHOENICIAN – THE PHOENICIAN TAVERN
Judges
From left to right:
- Jared Sowinski – Director of Beverage at The Phoenician
- Roy Pell – Pastry Chef at The Phoenician
- Rick Boyer – Executive Chef at The Phoenician
- Alex Stratta – Award-winning Chef
- Christina Barrueta – Food Writer & Blogger
ONTO THE REGIONAL COMPETITION…
After winning their individual property competitions, Brian Hawkins (Beverage) and Brian Bravman (Culinary) will move on to the next level of the competition in hopes of advancing all the way to the Finals held at Marriott International Headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.
CREATING A LEGACY
MASTERS OF THE CRAFT BEVERAGE CHAMPION 2018 : JONATHAN MILLER
Over 2000 competitors vied for the title “Master of the Craft” in the individual Food or Beverage categories. After competing in many rounds, The Phoenician’s own Jonathan Miller advanced to the Beverage Finals in Bethesda, Maryland where he won the whole competition and was awarded Master of the Craft: Beverage for 2018.
His mystery basket ingredient was tomatillo and he impressed the judges with his creative rum-based cocktail containing banana cream syrup, mixed with pineapple and tomatillo, then floated with green chartreuse. The garnish was dehydrated pineapple and fresh cracked black pepper.
At The Phoenician, Jonathan is currently a Banquet Bartender and you may find this Master of the Craft concocting delicious, handcrafted cocktails during your next banquet-style event.
