Last night, Malo hosted the finals of Gran Centario’s Rosangel Cocktail Competition, with all five entries containing Rosangel, a hibiscus-infused, port barrel-aged reposado tequila.

There were two ways to win. Matty Eggleston (The Hungry Cat & The Varnish) was the judges’ choice for his hibiscus tequila cocktail with Nutella and frothed milk. For capturing the cocktail crown, Eggleston snagged $250 and will be featured in the first “LA Cocktail Book.”

The best part of cocktail competitions like this: every attendee had the opportunity to taste all five drinks and vote. Silamith Weir, the LA Market Manager for Martin Miller’s Gin, was the peoples’ choice for her cocktail with muddled pineapple, basil and sweetened condensed milk, to name just three ingredients. She took home $150 and will also appear in the “LA Cocktail Book.”

Since the competition was designed to help promote female mixologists, several notable female bartenders were behind Malo’s central bar during the finals, including “liquid chef” Kim Haasarud of Liquid Architecture, who’s currently consulting on the cocktail program for downtown’s upcoming Bottega Louie; Westside Tavern bartender Kylee Van Dillen and Natalie Bovis-Nelsen (“The Liquid Muse”). Malo and Gran Centenario also supplied a generous spread of tostadas, tacos, chips and dips.

The post wouldn’t be complete without a photo of judge Marcos Tello (The Edison, The Varnish), who bravely dressed in drag for the entire evening.

Here are the winning Rosangel cocktail recipes, in case you’d like to recreate the experience at home:

The Lullaby by Matty Eggleston

4 oz. Gran Centenario Rosangel
3 Tbs Nutella
1/2 Cup of Whole Milk

In a frothing tin, steam milk and 1/2 cup of whole milk with 3 tbs Nutella. Steam until warm and & agitate with barspoon. Add 4 oz. of Gran Centenario Rosangel and steam a moment more. Pour into 4 teacups or larger espresso cups. Garnish with a light dusting of freshly grated cinnamon and orange zest.

Casa Blanco by Silamith Weir

2 oz. Gran Centenario Rosangel
1/2 oz. Matusalem Gran Reserva
3-4 Chunks of Pineapple
4 Basil leaves (shredded)
1/2 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup

Muddle pineapple and basil together. Add all other ingredients and shake vigorously. Strain and double strain into cocktail glass.

Related Posts

1. Rosangel Cocktail Competition Culminates on April 1 at Malo
2. Malo Expanding Downtown By Early 2010
3. Q&A with bartender Matthew Eggleston (The Hungry Cat)
4. The Making of a Cocktail: Spanish Coffee
5. Dozois Launches Pop-Up Cocktail Series

This entry is filed under Cocktails & Spirits.