The 2020 Gentleman Jack Whiskey Sour Classic Finally Has Its Winner

The 2020 Gentleman Jack Whiskey Sour Classic finished exactly as it should. Mark Sassi, a skilled and innovative bartender based in Seattle, won the competition with a delicious take on the classic cocktail. The judges were impressed by how he stayed true to the classic sour even while incorporating unexpected and inspired ingredients such as grapefruit sherbet and cinnamon gomme in his winning cocktail The Gentleman’s Way. Everyone could agree that Sassi taking home the $10,000 grand prize was a fitting end for the year’s competition.

The events leading up to that moment, however, did not go as anyone expected when the competition kicked off in early 2020. The Gentleman Jack Whiskey Sour Classic is built around bartenders gathering to compete and connect at a series of live events. For obvious reasons, none of that could happen in 2020. 

The easy thing to do would have been to call it off or postpone until everyone could gather in a bar once again. But it was important for everyone involved to find a way to make it work, especially when so many of the competitors could no longer find regular bar shifts. At the very least, the Gentleman Jack Whiskey Sour Classic could serve as a creative outlet for bartenders and a way to stay connected with their industry peers. It turned out to be much more than that, giving competitors a chance to learn the skills necessary for a virtual competition.

The first step was figuring out a way to move the competition into a digital space. In order to maintain a level playing field, regional finalists were sent all the materials needed to present their cocktails virtually, including a ring light, tripod and gift card to buy all their ingredients. While preparing their cocktail on a video call with the judges, the bartenders talked about the origins of the sour category and responded to questions about the thought process and intent that went into their recipe.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a true cocktail competition if the judges didn’t actually taste the cocktails. That’s why each of the finalists had to ship their recipe ingredients and instructions to three bars where each one of the judges would be sampling the cocktails as prepared by the staff at the bar. This rigorous process allowed the judges to sip the cocktails while the finalists presented their recipes. It was the best way to safely replicate the experience of being at the finals for the Gentleman Jack Whiskey Sour Classic.

It also helped that the competition had an amazing panel of judges. Dale DeGroff (the acclaimed author and winner of two James Beard Awards), Eric “ET” Tecosky (Jack Daniel’s brand ambassador and founder of Dirty Sue) and Mia Mastroianni (founding bartender at Soho House West Hollywood and expert mixologist on “Bar Rescue”) carefully judged each cocktail on the following criteria: taste and balance, creativity and originality, intelligent use of Gentleman Jack, presentation and appearance and the creativity, relevance and appeal of the recipe name.

It was a tall order, and was only one of the judges’ responsibilities in the competition. They also went onto video calls to lead interactive seminars on key topics, such as Dale DeGroff giving the bartenders an in-depth discussion on the history of Whiskey Sours as a category. Not only did this inform the competitors as they created their recipes, but it also gave the bartenders a chance to meet and talk with peers, something that was rare in 2020. 

In past years, a trip to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery is part of what makes the Whiskey Sour Classic such an unforgettable experience. Rather than bringing the finalists to Tennessee, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller Jeff Arnett came to them with another interactive seminar, in which he gave them an inside look at the iconic whiskey. 

These seminars, which also covered new skills like presenting cocktails digitally, made sure that all the competitors could take something from the competition, even if only one of them could win the grand prize. The takeaways were richly deserved, since all of the finalists delighted the judges with their twists on the classic Whiskey Sour, each of which showcased their skills and personality. 

With the Meyer a Gentleman, Meghan Wright showed how surprising housemade ingredients—blackberry oleo saccharum, orange cream citrate, black peppercorn tincture—could enhance the flavor of Gentleman Jack. Derrick Li’s Palette drew from the flavor of tea, using a vanilla-black tea syrup to transform the traditional sour.

People also looked to their surroundings and background for inspiration. Amy Van Buren’s After Jackson is an irresistible homage to Southern cooking, while Alex Taylor’s Lokum Sour reflects his childhood years living in Turkey. A couple of the finalists turned heads with their technique and expertise. Harrison Ginsberg went above and beyond with his Brûlée Sour, which as the name suggests, did feature a bruleed sugar top. Luke Nevin-Gattle, on the other hand, showed his encyclopedic knowledge of sours as a category while presenting his recipe, The Gentleman’s Nod.

It’s a testament to Mark Sassi that he was able to stand out in such a talented and creative group of bartenders. It’s a group that will eventually meet in person, as all of them are invited to the 2021 finals in Tennessee. It might have been delayed, but these bartenders are going to get their trip to the distillery.

Even though they couldn’t meet up in-person in 2021, these bartenders and judges have still managed to build a community. And like the Gentleman Jack Whiskey Sour Classic itself, it’s going to be around far beyond 2020. 

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