Diageo Reserve’s premium Scotch whisky, Talisker has named Andrew Lennie of The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen in Edinburgh as the first ever ‘Race to Skye’ champion, following an intense final in the brand’s homeland, the Isle of Skye.
Launched earlier this year, the ‘Race to Skye’ competition invited bartenders from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Bournemouth, Bristol and London to create a cocktail that embodied Talisker’s ‘Made by the Sea’ campaign. The ten best from each region were selected to compete in the semi-finals before the final six were chosen to go head-to-head in the two-day final.
Andrew Lennie competed against Rebecca Bevvy of The Laundrette Group in Manchester; Dave Ali of The Finneston in Glasgow; Daniel Bovey of Be at One in Bristol; Mike Pendergast of East London Liquor Company in London; and Charles Roche from Scout also in London, during a series of challenges.
As the first ever ‘Race to Skye’ champion Andrew Lennie is awarded the title of Honorary Talisker Ambassador* to support the Scotch whisky brand in telling its story and communicating the on-going Made by the Sea campaign. He will also enjoy an enhanced PR campaign to help raise his profile in the drinks industry.
Andrew Lennie commented: “I’m incredibly excited to be named the first ever ‘Race to Skye’ champion. It has been an amazing couple of days and competing in the heart of Skye has been unforgettable. It’s been a truly rewarding experience and I have learnt so much more about Talisker and Scotch throughout this journey. I’m looking forward to working with this wonderful Scotch brand to tell its rich story in my new honorary ambassador role.”
David Sinclair, Whisky Ambassador at Diageo Reserve added: “Andrew is an incredibly worthy winner and we’re delighted to welcome him into the Talisker fold. He and all of the finalists showcased their knowledge, skill and passion for Scotch and it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with them all from entry to final phase.”