Winners Crowned at the First-Ever "Show Me the Proof!" High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition Celebrating Louis Royer "Force 53" VSOP Cognac

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hanna Lee Communications, an award-winning agency specialized in spirits, food, wine, and lifestyle PR and event management, today announced that Tim Cooper of Gold Bar has won the Grand Prize in the first-ever "Show Me the Proof!" High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition.  The competition showcased the unique seasonal mixing possibilities of Louis Royer "Force 53" VSOP Cognac, which is one of the highest proof Cognacs in the U.S. market.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120921/FL78981 )

The Grand Prize is a one-week, all expense paid educational trip to France for Cooper and his guest to visit Louis Royer Cognac's cellars in Jarnac and experience the 16^th Fete du Cognac Festival, as well as two nights in Paris.  

Franky Marshall of Monkey Bar/The Tippler and Lynnette Marrero of Astor Room earned second and third places respectively and each won a cash prize of $1,000.

The judges were Dale DeGroff ("King Cocktail"), the legendary master mixologist and reviver of the craft cocktail; Paul Pacult, the noted spirits critic and writer; Steve Olson, founder of aka wine geek and an accomplished spirits expert/educator; Jack Robertiello, a widely-respected spirits and cocktail writer; Carrie Keagan, VH1 "Big Morning Buzz Live" TV show host and cocktail enthusiast; and, Louis Royer Cognac's Master Selector Jerome Royer, a fifth-generation Royer family member.

"We asked bartenders and mixologists across the U.S. to 'show us the proof' and indeed they did," said Royer.  "Through this competition, they proved that high proof spirits like Louis Royer 'Force 53' VSOP Cognac can be a bartender's best friend by providing an unshakable flavor backbone for their Cognac cocktails.  We thank all of the pros who submitted their recipes and we take our hats off to the finalists and these exceptional winners."

"I'm proud beyond words to have won the competition," said Cooper.  "The competition shows that the over-proof spirits trend has truly arrived and that Louis Royer 'Force 53' VSOP Cognac is at its forefront.  It was great to see all the creativity displayed by my fellow finalists.  They were all incredible.  We've really taken Cognac out of the snifter and put it back where it belongs, right in the mixing glass."

The winners were among 12 finalists who hailed from across the U.S. and who competed at a live finale event at Rayuela Restaurant in New York City.  The finalists had been selected from more than 100 professional bartenders and mixologists who submitted recipes via ShakeStir.com, each with a seasonal inspiration.  The competition was conceptualized, organized and executed by Hanna Lee Communications.

The winning recipes are as follows:

Grand Prize: Tim Cooper of Gold Bar, NYC

• Seasonal Inspiration – Summer into Fall
• Bouquet
  • 1 1/2 oz. Louis Royer "Force 53" VSOP Cognac
  • 1 oz. Lustau Oloroso Sherry
  • 1/2 oz. Velvet Falernum
  • 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
  • Barspoon of Grade "B" Maple Syrup
  • Place all ingredients in a mixing glass and shake with ice. Strain into a double rocks glass over a large piece of ice.
• Glassware:  Double Rocks
• Garnish:  Pear "fan" (3 thin slices of pear)

Second Place: Franky Marshall of The Tippler and Monkey Bar, NYC

• Seasonal Inspiration – Winter
• 53 Souvenirs
  • 1 1/2 oz. Louis Royer "Force 53" VSOP Cognac
  • 1/2 oz. Lustau Pedro Ximenez Sherry
  • 4 drops "A l'Olivier'" Walnut Oil
  • 2 dashes Miracle Mile Chocolate Chili Bitters
  • 1 dash of Angostura Bitters
  • Add all ingredients to mixing glass. Stir to integrate. Add ice, and stir again until proper dilution is reached. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass over 1 large cube of ice.
• Glassware:  Old Fashioned
• Garnish:  A lemon twist is an optional garnish, left to the discretion of the imbiber

Third Place: Lynnette Marrero of Astor Room, NYC

• Seasonal Inspiration – Fall
• Ma Cherie Amour
  • 1 3/4 oz. Louis Royer "Force 53" VSOP Cognac
  • 1/2 oz.  "Marques de Rodil" Especial Palo Cortado Sherry
  • 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 oz. Cherry Jam
  • 2 dashes of Pimento Bitters
  • Place all ingredients in a shaker with 3 Kold-Draft ice cubes. Shake and strain over crushed ice
• Glassware:  Rocks
• Garnish:  Orange twist and cherry

Editor's Note: High-res images of the winning cocktails are available upon request.

About Hanna Lee Communications, Inc.
Headquartered in New York City, Hanna Lee Communications, Inc. is an award-winning agency specialized in spirits, wine, food, travel, and lifestyle PR and event management.  The agency only represents products and companies that it is passionate about.  This outlook drives its well-acknowledged excellence. 

The agency has earned recognition from prestigious national and international organizations that include the PRWeek Awards, SABRE Awards, PRSA-NY's Big Apple Awards, The Communicator Awards, PR News' Platinum Awards and The Bulldog Awards.  In addition, through its multi-year PR campaign for Mionetto Wines, Hanna Lee Communications contributed to developing the now popular Prosecco category in the U.S. 

Client experience includes Louis Royer Cognac, Santa Teresa Rum, Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Leblon Cachaca, Sobieski Vodka, Marie Brizard Liqueurs, Terra Andina Chilean Wines, G7 Portuguese Wine Consortium, Bortolomiol Prosecco, Quimeria Think Group (Rayuela, Macondo and Barraca), San Domenico New York (now SD26), Michael's New York, MONO+MONO, Gourmet Latino Festival and others.  For more information, please visit www.hannaleecommunications.com.  The agency can be followed on Twitter at @hannaleenyc and "liked" on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HannaLeeCommunications.

Media Contacts:
Hanna Lee or Jen Neugeboren
Hanna Lee Communications, Inc.
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SOURCE Hanna Lee Communications