Cocktail triumph inspired by hometown for Doncaster man

A former Bawtry man has mixed up a winning cocktail, inspired by his hometown, and has made the final of a major national competition.

Twenty-five year old mixologist, Thomas Hay-Owens, won the south coast regional final of The Southern Comfort Southern Showdown, with his inspired cocktail, The Mayflower.

He is in the running for a VIP trip to New Orleans, and a chance to compete in an international final.

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Tom joins five others for the grand UK final this month, to take place on a Dixie Queen travelling on the Thames.

He explained: “ The theme for this years competition was Hometown. Contestants were asked to enter a cocktail that was influenced by their hometown, and to create at least one home-made ingredient to go into their chosen drink.

“My cocktail is called The Mayflower: named after the Pilgram Fathers’ ship that set sail to America and also the name of my primary school in Yorkshire. The captain of that ship, William Bradford, was from my hometown, Bawtry, which itself has numerous parallels to New Orleans in regard to its history. “

His cocktail includes Southern Comfort Black, with Somerset Brandy Company’s Ice Cider, Lemon and Elderflower Oleo Saccharum, Blackberry and Damson infused Peychaud, Lemon Juice and Ms Better’s Bitters Miraculous Foamer, he revealed.

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The drink is garnished with a Freezedried Blackberry Sherbet, and a New Orleans inspired pick and mix bag, filled with home made sweets inspired by the classic cocktails of New Orleans.

“The cocktail, while also telling a story of my hometown (the fruit and elderflower I would pick with my family, and pick’n’mix is a classic childhood memory), also celebrates sustainability and preservation,” he said.

“The great thing about the drink is that, even though some ingredients are out of season, by preserving them we can enjoy it all the year round.”

Caps - Tom with the Southern Comfort UK Ambassador, Christian Tirel,