Today's Bartenders' Brand Awards instalment sees our Mixers & Softs products go under the microscope.
The mixers and softs category covers a lot of ground in terms of both style and flavour, making it all the more impressive that the bartender-born Three Cents has two brands in the top three this year.
At the top of the pile is the Athens-based brand’s Cherry Soda which received a score of 45/50 in the blind tasting. Judges loved its “great fizz” and balanced “bold flavour” while the price was “great value for quality of the product”.
Monin Cloudy Lemonade concentrate came second with golds across our three measures. The panel found it “superbly balanced for mixing” and said they “would use a lemon syrup in a cocktail” while praising it as “fantastic value per shot”.
Back to Three Cents for the bronze finish, this time its Pink Grapefruit Soda, which impressed the panel enough to be awarded golds across the three categories.
It was described as “vibrant with big bold flavours” and “great balance”, with one judge saying it “would work well with cocktails on my menu”.
In fourth place, Double Dutch Ginger Beer tied Three Cents Cherry Soda for the highest score in the blind tasting, with remarks praising its carbonation balance and fiery ginger flavour.
In fifth, Hartridges Elderflower Presse took silver in taste and golds in value and design. Judges were impressed by its “elegant design” and “perfect bottle size”.