An exceptional honor for the Dutch botanical distillers Rutte at Tales of the Cocktail® Official Cocktail Competition: from a total of 322 recipes submitted at this year’s competition, whose theme was a creative reinterpretation of the classic Martini Cocktail, Zachary Faden – from the Mirabelle in Washington, D.C. – emerged as the winner, with his “Embrasse de la Terre,” which was crafted with equal measures of complexity and elegance. His victorious creation won thanks to its unique approach employing a compelling combination of tradition and modernity – for which the use of Rutte Old Simon Genever is iconic – in place of the usual gins or vodkas. Zachary Faden was inspired by historical formulas dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Not everyone knows this, but the Martini is believed to be an evolution of the Martinez prepared with what was known then as “Holland Gin” – a.k.a. genever.
Zachary Faden affirms: “The Martini – the King of Cocktails – has had many recipes, interpretations, riffs, and iterations throughout the years. I wanted my version to pay respectful homage to history while simultaneously embracing a modern sensibility. I started with genever, gin’s luscious, velvety, malty precursor. In particular, Rutte Old Simon Genever preserves legacy and tradition while innovating with the addition of nuts and celery.”
After established stars from the top ranks of the international bartender scene – like Jörg Meyer (multiple award-winning bar owner of Le Lion of Bar de Paris in Hamburg and inventor of the “Gin Basil Smash”) and “Il Maestro” Salvatore Calebrese – Zachary Faden is now also being inspired by the tradition and quality of the Rutte Distillery. And this is just what provided him with a decisive edge against the fierce competition at the leading global industry event Tales of the Cocktail® Official Cocktail Competition. “Embrasse de la Terre” will be featured as the official cocktail of this summer’s Tales of the Cocktail®, which takes place from 18 to 23 July in New Orleans.
Mark de Witte, CEO of De Kuyper Royal Distillers and Rutte Distillery sees this as confirmation of the inspiration and expertise that has shaped Rutte since the foundation by Simon Rutte in 1872. And he considers the “Embrasse de la Terre” award as further proof of the current revival of genever in the cocktail world: “Congratulations to Zachary Faden for his winning cocktail at Tales of the Cocktail®. We’re truly honored that our Rutte Old Simon Genever – a recipe from the very hand of our founder, Simon Rutte – was chosen as a key ingredient for this extraordinary cocktail. Our Master Distiller Myriam Hendrickx works hard to preserve and rediscover the almost 150 years of Rutte heritage, crafting gins and genevers that carry the creative spirit of our founder and generations of Rutte distillers. We’re proud and excited to see genever making a strong comeback in creative and high-quality drink creations all over the world. Thanks to the international bartender community, genever is becoming popular again today in the top bars in the US and the rest of the world. Surely, Zachary’s fine creation, ‘Embrace la Terre’, will reinforce this trend.”
The winning recipe by Zachary Faden. Here is how it’s made:
“Embrasse de la Terre”
Ingredients:
2 oz Rutte Old Simon Genever
1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry
¼ oz Yellow Chartreuse
3 Dashes Bitter Truth Celery Bitters
Directions:
Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into a chilled coupe. Enjoy.
Garnish:
No need to garnish. The drink blooms while stirred and is pleasantly aromatic.
A toast to the beautiful world of cocktails!
