Marriott Hotels is launching a new bourbon program with a five-city competition pitting some of the brand’s bartenders against local mixologists. The “Bourbon Battles” competition kicked off April 14 at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa in Lexington, Kentucky.
“The competition was what we thought was a fun and innovative way to be able to share our story around the bourbon program that we’re rolling out to our hotels,” says Matthew Carroll, vice president of brand management for Marriott Hotels. “One of the elements of the program is the creativity. We’ve been seeing our bartenders … really being inspired to create their own cocktails and to dive into that trend around mixology … and saw the opportunity to showcase that talent.”
At the invitation-only event in Lexington, two Marriott bartenders and two bartenders from local establishments created drinks in three categories: an old-fashioned, a Manhattan, and one that included coffee. The winner from that event, along with winners from upcoming events at Marriott properties in Portland, Calgary, and Boston, will compete against one another in Brooklyn June 14 (dubbed National Bourbon Day). The final winner will receive a trip to New Orleans to attend the Tales of the Cocktail festival in July.
In addition to driving awareness of the hotel’s bourbon program for leisure guests, Carroll says the competition also provides an example of an activity for planners to create for their attendees. “It’s very interactive, so it could potentially be replicated for a meeting planner who wants to hold an event,” he says.
Marriott’s Bourbon Battles events are just one example of how brands are using food and beverage contests as marketing tools. Also on April 14, French digital magazine French Morning hosted a competition at the National Hotel in Miami Beach to crown the city’s best baguette. Guests purchased tickets to "Baguette Battle Miami" that provided assorted breads, cheese, charcuterie, and wine as they watched a panel of judges select their favorite bread after a blind tasting. French Morning hosted a similar event in New York in January. On April 10, Thrillist hosted its first “Hall of Heroes” sandwich competition at Bowery Hotel in New York. Each of the 500 guests could cast one vote for his or her favorite sandwich from 11 entries from local restaurants. And for a playful twist on Leap Day in February, the Meatpacking Business Improvement District hosted “Breakfast for Dinner,” a competition among 17 restaurants to create the tastiest meal of morning fare.
Spirits expert Heather Greene is serving as host of Marriott's five-city Bourbon Battles competition.
Photo:Â Mark Cornelison/AP Images for Marriott Hotels
Ashley Sherrow, a bartender at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa, won the Lexington event and will move on to the final competition in New York in June.
Photo:Â Mark Cornelison/AP Images for Marriott Hotels
Guests at French Morning's Baguette Battle in Miami Beach could sample breads and pastries created by the 10 finalists.
Photo:Â Courtesy of French Morning
The Baguette Battle took place at the National Hotel in Miami Beach.
Photo:Â Courtesy of French Morning
To tie into the sandwich theme at Thrillist's Hall of Heroes competition, organizers offered a make-your-own ice cream sandwich station for dessert.
Photo:Â Megan Swann for Thrillist
To encourage social sharing, Thrillist created a custom Snapchat filter for its sandwich competition
Photo:Â Megan Swann for Thrillist
