{"id":80618,"date":"2025-01-24T16:20:32","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T21:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=80618"},"modified":"2025-01-28T14:29:32","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T19:29:32","slug":"rising-the-tide-on-the-cocktail-contest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/regatta-series\/rising-the-tide-on-the-cocktail-contest\/","title":{"rendered":"Rising the Tide On the Cocktail Contest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We all know the preferred spirit of the sailing gods, and all we all know that it can be savored in so many ways. We are, of course, talking about Mount Gay Rum\u2014Eclipse, Black Barrel, Extra Old and the many other special blends\u2014all of them silky and full-flavored, delivering to our taste buds a complex explosion of vanilla, banana, honey, ginger, nutmeg and so much more. Whatever the preference for your Mount Gay serving, be it neat, chilled, mixed with tonic and garnished with a lime, or paired with fruit juices, and yes, even ice cream, it\u2019s always a cocktail that calls for another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"988\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_8205-829x1024.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Mark Macke at the 2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in St. Petersburg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_8205-829x1024.jpg 829w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_8205-243x300.jpg 243w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_8205-768x948.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_8205.jpg 1200w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Mark Macke presents his award-winning Mount Gay Rum Low Tide Old Fashion to the judges at the 2024 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series in St. Petersburg.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Dave Reed\/Sailing World<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>No matter how you serve it, the essence of Barbados always radiates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sir John Gay Alleyne, credited for perfecting this versatile Bajan spirit back in the 18th Century, would likely lean neat, but were he alive today to judge the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta\u2019s Mount Gay Rum Recipe Contest, he would no doubt cast his vote for sailing mixologist Mark Macke\u2019s Low Tide Old Fashioned, our undisputed 2024 winner in St. Petersburg (and, frankly, the best of the entire series).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ingredients of Macke\u2019s winning concoction were curious yet simple, but the delivery to the judging panel\u2019s palate was complex. The submitted recipe card read: 2 ounces of Mount Gay Black Barrell, 1\/3 ounces banana liquor, 5 drops Angostura Bitters and 4 drops Peychaud&#8217;s Aromatic Cocktail Bitters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How to make Macke\u2019s Low Tide Old Fashioned is even simpler: mix ingredients in a stirring glass, then dress your cocktail glass with a dark simple syrup and generous ice ball, layer the rum and add the banana liquor. Dust with a grate of cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick, dried banana chip and Luxardo Maraschino cherry (worth the price).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sit back, sip, savor and let your worries go out with the tide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }<\/style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/\/T3vez2qAGg8' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Macke, now retired and embracing his new mixology hobby with gusto, is the official bartender and trimmer on board Michael Cichon\u2019s Beneteau Oceanis 41 <em>Va Bene<\/em>. When he envisions new recipes, he says, his approach is to reimagine the classics from a sailor\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rum, however, is a rare ingredient among the classics of weathered bartender\u2019s bible, but therein lies Macke\u2019s opportunity to get creative. He doesn\u2019t just substitute a spirit and slap on a new name; he explores and tests every element of it. \u201cThat\u2019s what is exciting to me,\u201d he says. \u201cIt has to have fresh ingredients and it also has to be pretty. You want to pick it up, look at it and say, \u2018I really want to drink this,\u2019 and the ratios have to be right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When he crafted his award-winning Low Tide Old Fashioned, he knew nothing of Mount Gay\u2019s Black Barrel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI bought a bottle and wrote up my own tasting notes. I love Old Fashions but I wanted to take it in a different direction that brought it to the Caribbean.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Drink-Recipe-contests.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Drink Recipe contest\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Drink-Recipe-contests.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Drink-Recipe-contests-200x300.jpg 200w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Entry for the 2025 Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series Mount Gay Rum Cocktail Recipe Contest is now live.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Macke\u2019s creation for this year\u2019s contest, he says, may just be better than the Low Tide. \u201cIt\u2019s more complex and more nostalgic,\u201d is all he will reveal, and it\u2019s been properly vetted by his in-house tasting team (his wife and daughter). His daughter has advised him to stop perfecting perfect, but Macke can\u2019t help himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s now down to just a few minor tweaks,\u201d he says, \u201cbut everyone\u2019s happy with this one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for those with aspirations of dethroning <em>Va Bene<\/em>\u2019s Cocktail King, all he can say is, \u201cI\u2019m ready. Bring it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/mount-gay-rum-st-pete-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Mount Gay Rum Cocktail Recipe Contest\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/mount-gay-rum-st-pete-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/mount-gay-rum-st-pete-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/mount-gay-rum-st-pete-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/mount-gay-rum-st-pete-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/mount-gay-rum-st-pete.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Mixologist put their creativity to the judges at the St. Petersburg YC.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Macke and registered mixologists will be posted up at the St. Petersburg YC\u2019s Ball Room during the post-racing party. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/r\/3B8QNMZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Entrants<\/a> (a sign-up link is at the QR code above) will be provided Mount Gay Rum and basic mixers, but mixologists are encouraged to bring their own special ingredients. With limited mixing stations available, selected teams will be announced at the Skippers Meeting on Thursday evening, and on the regatta\u2019s social media channels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The reigning champ of the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta Series\u2019 Mount Gay Rum Drink Recipe Contest declares he has another winning elixir. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":80647,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Dave Reed","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_targeting":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"sponsored_url":"","social_share":true,"alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[181,311,2859],"class_list":["post-80618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regatta-series","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series-st-petersburg","tag-regatta-series"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80618\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}