Feb. 27 - Mar. 1, 2022

Enercare Centre, Toronto

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Beyond the Rail Competition

Watch Top Bartenders Face-off for $3,500 in cash & prizes

We went 'beyond the rail' this year as we brought back your favourite cocktail competition online at RC Show 2021. This year's competition showcased not only competitors’ creativity, but also their marketing savvy and business expertise. Selected finalists, created a short marketing video promoting their concept and a presentation to virtually pitch a “sellable” cocktail kit concept in front of a panel of esteemed judges.

Missed the live event? Catch up on the action ON DEMAND today.

Competition Details

Our chosen finalists prepared the following:

  • A cocktail recipe with mixing directions
  • A mock-up of the packaged product as a whole
  • A costing sheet and suggested retail price including the cost of packaging (down to stickers, shrink bands etc.)
  • A description of the marketing strategy/plan (max 100 words)
  • A one-minute marketing video getting the customer excited about what they would receive once they purchased this product

Prizing

  • 1st Place: $2000
  • 2nd Place: $1000
  • 3rd Place: $500

WINNERS

josh-mellet

1st Place

Josh Mellet

Josh Mellet

Josh Mellet is a hospitality professional with more than 10 years experience dedicated to his passion behind the bar. His time abroad led him back to his home town in Toronto, where he continues to learn new techniques and discover new ingredients.

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madison-homewood

2nd Place

Madison Homewood

Madison Homewood

Madison Homewood is an experienced bartender in Toronto. Most recently you could find her shaking things up behind the bar at Le Phenix and previously at Supernova Ballroom. Madison is excited to be competing again, and honing a new skill that is so relevant to the industry's current climate.

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marta

2nd Place

Marta Ess

Marta ESs

Marta Ess has nearly two decades experience working in the hospitality industry. She has participated and placed in multiple national and international cocktail competitions (Black Cow Vodka Gold Top Cup Canada winner, Speed Rack Top 4, Most Imaginative Bartender 2020 Top 12, among many others), traveling across North America and the UK, representing Canada on a global stage more than once. Until recently, you could find her playing bar mom at Parkdale's beloved local spot Chantecler/le Phénix. Although she's moved on from Toronto, she will always consider the 12 years spent honing her craft in the city as invaluable to who she is as a bartender and hospitality professional.

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FINALISTS

andrew-britton

Andrew Britton

Andrew Britton

My name is Andy Britton, I was most recently the Assistant General Manager at the Last Straw in Calgary. I have been tending bar since 2004, very quickly realized that hospitality was my passion, and have been pursuing it for the past 16+ years. Doug Coughlin is my personal hero.

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mike-shum

Mike Shum

Mike Shum

Mike is a spirits and wine specialist who has represented Canada on the global cocktail competition scene. In addition to these successes, he is also passionate about continued education and is currently pursuing his WSET Diploma. A queer POC, Mike strives to bring visibility and inclusivity to the front-facing world of food and beverage. Outside of the wine and spirits world, Mike unwinds as a full-contact kickboxer where he has over ten years of experience.

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wes-hunter

Wes Hunter

Wes Hunter

My name is Wesley Hunter and I am the current general manager at CRAFT Beer Market in Ottawa Ontario. I have been in the hospitality industry for 20 years managing restaurants and cocktail bars, wineries and resorts across Canada. I am a WSET diploma graduate and love how wine education has shaped how I approach making a new drink. I have a deep passion for bourbon and tequila and love using unique teas when creating cocktails. I love the challenge and the community of cocktail competitions and recently won the Ottawa Regionals for Made with Love. I am supported by my amazing wife Morgan, beautiful son Park and a new little boy on the way.

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chris-bain

Chris Bain

Chris Bain

A world traveller and life-long learner, Bain’s F&B career is unique and a checklist of his journeys and hospitality experience reads like an adventure story. Always in search of distinct beverage experiences, Bain has visited some of the world’s top cocktail bars, dives, restaurants and hotels, and has interviewed and befriended an eclectic list of world-renowned (and not-so-well-known) bartenders, ambassadors, and hotel F&B managers. Bain’s early focus was in F&B and Inside Operations Management at ski resorts, family resorts, and hotels in Ontario and B.C. but his work and study travels have led him across Mexico, Central America, and South America, and to cities like New Orleans, San Francisco, Hiroshima, Tokyo, Kyoto, Malaga, London, and Amsterdam. Among his favourites, Bain has helped tend agave fields and distilled Mezcal in Oaxaca, Mexico, taught Mixology in Shanghai, China, and studied the art of Pisco distillation in Ica, Peru. Bain currently teaches mixology at George Brown College and runs “Lloyd’s Cocktails and Apothecary”, an in-home (and now online) private cocktail party service.

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JUDGES

kate-boushel

Kate Boushel

Director of Beverage & Education, Barroco Group

rebecca-felgate

Rebecca Felgate

Digital Content Creator, Miss Rebecca J

mike-mclean

Mike McLean

Lead Trainer, Mixxit Canada by Beam Suntory

jesse-sahlin

Jesse Sahlin

Corporate Beverage Director, JOEY Restaurant Group

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