Official Rules for TOTCF’s Good Clean Fun -
The Ultimate Espresso Martini Competition Sponsored by Absolut and Kahlua
Eligibility
Bartenders: The Competition is open only to individuals
who (a) are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (b) are at least
twenty-five (25) as of the date of entry, (c) work in a bar at least 20 hours
per week, and (d) have a passport valid through December 2024.
Exclusions: Individuals who are full-time or part-time
employees of TOTCF, Pernod Ricard U.S.A., Absolut, Kahlua, Offsite, or a
distributor at the time of entry, as well as the immediate family (spouse,
parents, children) and household members of those employees, are not eligible
to enter.
Stage 1: Online Entries
How to Enter: Visit www.espressomartinicompetition.com(the
“Website”) and follow the instructions on that page. Participants will be
required to submit a form of their identifying and contact information.
Together, the form and submission constitute the “Entry.” Entries must be
received by December 20th, 2023, and there is a limit of one (1) Entry per
person.
Selection: Participation in each Local Event will be
determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Capacity for each local event
will range from ten (10) to forty (40) Participants.
Notification of Local Events: TOTCF will notify all Participants via email, and invite them to participate in their Local Event.
Each competitor may be required to complete and return a declaration of
eligibility, a liability/publicity release, a current W-9, and authorization to
conduct a background check. TOTCF reserves the right (in its sole discretion)
to disqualify a competitor if the individual does not sign the necessary forms
within five (5) days of the date notification is sent. If a competitor returns
these documents on time, and in TOTCF’s sole discretion, passes the background
check, they will be invited to participate in the Local Event in their market.
Stage 2: Local Events
Local Events: The
Local events will take place between January 1st - February 10th, 2024 in
markets throughout the U.S.. Each competitor is
responsible for any necessary travel, accommodations, meals, taxes, and the
cost of other incidental expenses incurred by participating in a Local Event.
Competition Details:
During the Local Events, participants will compete against the clock. Any
deviation from the below guidelines will result in a deduction from a
competitor’s total score.
●
Participants will make four (4) dry espresso
martinis in as little time as possible
○
Dry Espresso Martinis should consist of
■
2oz Absolut Vodka
■
1oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
■
1oz espresso
■
3 espresso beans
○
All ingredients, ice, bar tools, and glassware
will be provided
○
Participants can provide their own bar tools
if preferred
Judging: The
challenges will be judged according to the following criteria:
Offense |
Penalty |
Straw Test: Pass/Fail |
+ 30sec if no |
Does the cocktail fill the glass? |
Empty: +30s; half +15s, 1/3rd +5s |
Are there three espresso beans? |
Wrong amount: +5s per drink |
Is there foam on top of the cocktail? |
None: +15s |
Do the espresso beans float? |
No: +15s |
Is there drink left in the tins? |
Every .25oz: +5s |
Spill: 5" or less |
+5s |
Spill: 5"-10" |
+10s |
Spill: 10"+ |
+20s |
Clothing Stain (any size) |
+10s |
Prizing: The
competitor with the fastest time, after penalty adjustments, will be the winner
of each Local Event.
Notification of East and West Regional
Finalists: TOTCF will notify all Finalists via email by
February 16, 2024, and invite them to participate in the East or West Regional
Championship. Each Finalist may be required to complete and return a
declaration of eligibility, a liability/publicity release, a current W-9, and
authorization to conduct a background check. TOTCF reserves the right (in its
sole discretion) to disqualify a Finalist if the individual does not sign the
necessary forms within five (5) days of the date notification is sent. If a
Finalist returns these documents on time, and in TOTCF’s sole discretion,
passes the background check, they will be invited to participate in the East or
West Regional Championship in Charleston, SC or San Diego, CA.
Stage 3: East & West Championships
East and West Regional Championships: The
East Regional Championship will take place on a date between March 18- April
15, 2024 in Boston, MA. The West Regional Championship
will take place on a date around April 15, 2024 in San
Diego, CA. TOTCF will provide travel and accommodations to the East or West
Regional Championship. Each competitor is responsible for any meals, luggage,
taxes, and other incidental expenses.
Competition Details:
During the East and West Regional Championships, participants will compete
against the clock. Additional challenges may be added ahead of championship
events, at the discretion of TOTCF. Any deviation from the below guidelines
will result in a time penalty being added to the competitor’s time.
●
Participants will make 12 dry espresso
martinis in as little time as possible
○
Dry Espresso Martinis should consist of
■
2oz Absolut Vodka
■
1oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
■
1oz espresso
■
3 espresso beans
○
All ingredients, ice, and glassware will be provided
○
Participants should provide their own bartools
Judging: The
challenges will be judged according to the following criteria.
●
Any spillage on the bartop,
service rail, or bar floor will result in a time penalty
○
Prizing: The
Finalists with the three fastest times will be named the Champions. The
Finalist with the fourth fastest time will be named the Runner Up.
Stage 4: Prizing
Trip to Absolut Akademi: The top three (3) fastest Finalists from the
East and West Regional Championships, the Champions, will receive: (a)
round-trip coach class airfare for one (1) person from an airport close to the
winner’s home to Stockholm, Sweden; (b) hotel accommodations for three (3) nights; (c) ground transportation in Sweden; (d)
travel insurance; and (e) an immersive, educational experience at Absolut Akademi. The approximate retail value of the trip is
$6,500. The actual value of the trip will vary depending on various factors,
including the date of booking, the point of departure, and the dates of travel.
Please see the Prize Details Section below for additional details. Winners will
be responsible for their passport, visa if needed, vaccines, luggage, tax,
meals, and the cost of other incidental expenses.
Bar 5 Day Scholarship: The
fourth fastest Finalist from the East and West Regional Championships, the
Runner Ups, will receive: (a) round-trip coach class airfare for one (1) person
from an airport close to the winner’s home to Hyde Park, New York; (b) hotel
accommodations for five (5) nights; (c) ground transportation; (d) travel
insurance; and (e) a scholarship to the Bar 5 Day educational program. The
approximate retail value of the trip is $8,500. The actual value of the trip
will vary depending on various factors, including the date of booking, the
point of departure, and the dates of travel. Please see the Prize Details
Section below for additional details. Winners will be responsible for luggage,
tax, meals, and the cost of other incidental expenses.
General Terms
Supplies: For all stages, participants will be
responsible for all expenses that are not explicitly stated as provided by
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation in these rules.
Agreement to Terms and Conditions: By participating in this Competition,
participants indicate their unconditional agreement to these Official Rules,
the TOTCF Code of Conduct, and
TOTCF’s decisions, which are final and binding. Moreover, by participating,
they represent that they are complying with any policies their employer may
have regarding participation in competitions of this nature. Participants
cannot win a prize unless they comply with all requirements set forth herein.
TOTCF reserves the right to change these Official Rules at any time, without
prior notice. Any changes will be posted on the Website.
Background Check: TOTCF reserves the right (at any point and in
its sole discretion) to disqualify any individual if, based on the results of
the background check – or on an individual’s other actions or statements –
TOTCF concludes that the individual will not be a good representative for the
TOTCF, Absolut, or Kahlua brands. Any actions of the competitor outside of
accordance with the TOTCF Code of Conduct will
result in disqualification from the program.
Rights to Entries: By entering, participants irrevocably: (a)
grant TOTCF, Pernod Ricard U.S.A., Absolut, Kahlua, and each of their agents,
licensees, and assigns (collectively, the “Rights Holders”) the unconditional
and non-exclusive right and permission to copyright, reproduce, encode, store,
copy, transmit, publish, post, broadcast, display, publicly perform, adapt,
modify, create derivative works of, exhibit, and otherwise use their Entry
as-is or as-edited in any media throughout the world for any purpose, without
limitation, and without additional review, compensation, or approval from the
competitor or any other party for five (5) years from the date they submitted
the Entry; (b) waive any rights of copyrights, trademark rights, privacy
rights, and any other legal or moral rights that may preclude the Rights
Holders’ use of the Entry, as outlined above, or require any further permission
for the Rights Holders to use the Entry; and (c) agree not to instigate,
support, maintain, or authorize any action, claim, or lawsuit against the
Rights Holders on the grounds that any use of the Entry, or any derivative
works, infringes any of their rights as creator of the Entry, including,
without limitation, copyrights, trademark rights, and moral rights.
Publicity: Except where prohibited, by participating in
the Competition, participants agree that the Rights Holders and any media
attending events related to the Competition may use their name, likeness,
voice, opinions, photographs, event-related audio-visual footage, biographical
information, state of residence, and/or any other record of their participation
in the Competition for promotional purposes in any press releases,
advertisements, television, radio, film, documentary, internet, social media,
or in any other publication or media without further payment or consideration
and to license the right to use such intellectual property to others.
Participants may be required to sign additional releases regarding publicity.
Prize Details: Participants are responsible for paying any
taxes, including income taxes and any and all other
costs and expenses not listed in the Official Rules. Participants may be
required to provide a Social Security Number for tax reporting purposes. Any
prize details not specified above will be determined by TOTCF, at its sole
discretion. The actual value of the trips will vary depending on various
factors, including the date of booking, the point of departure, and dates of
travel. A prize may not be transferred and must be accepted as awarded.
Participants may not request cash or a substitute prize; however, TOTCF
reserves the right to substitute a prize (or component thereof) with another
prize (or component thereof) of equal or greater value if the prize is not
available for any reason, as determined by TOTCF, in its sole discretion.
Participants must travel on the dates specified by TOTCF. Once travel documents
are issued, travel arrangements cannot be changed. If participants cannot
travel on the dates specified by TOTCF, they will not be permitted to compete
in the next stage of the Competition. Participants are responsible for securing
passports, visas, and any other documents necessary for international travel.
If the Competition is canceled, no prizes may be awarded.
General Conditions: In the event that the operation, security, or
administration of the Competition is impaired in any way, TOTCF may, in its
sole discretion, either: (a) cancel or suspend the Competition to address the
impairment and then resume the Competition; or (b) award the prizes according
to the criteria set forth above from among the eligible entries received up to
the time of the impairment. TOTCF reserves the right, in its sole discretion,
to disqualify and seek damages from any individual who tampers with the
operation of the Competition, violates these Official Rules or the TOTCF Code of
Conduct, or acts in a disruptive or unsportsmanlike
manner. TOTCF’s failure to enforce any term of these Terms and Conditions shall
not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication
to TOTCF by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by
TOTCF. The Competition is subject to federal, state, and local laws and
regulations and is void in Utah and where prohibited. Participants agree that, while participating
in the contest and in their private lives, they will (a) not commit an offense
involving moral turpitude; (b) not engage in activities that may create any
public scandal, disrepute, widespread contempt, or public ridicule; (c) not
harass, embarrass, offend, insult, or denigrate individuals or groups; (d) not
damage the person or property of others; (e) that they will treat all other
contestants, judges, and related competition personnel with respect; and (f)
that they will drink responsibly. Travel
and cash prizes will be taxable to participants and
they should expect to receive a Form 1099.
Release and Limitations of Liability: By participating in the Competition,
participants hereby release and hold harmless TOTCF, Pernod Ricard U.S.A.,
Absolut, Kahlua, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries,
affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and
agents (the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action
arising out of participation in the Competition or receipt or use of any prize,
including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the
Competition; (b) technical errors; (c) printing errors; (d) lost, late,
postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail; (e) errors in the
administration of the Competition or the processing of Entries; (f) injury or
damage to partiicipants and their property and/or (g)
injury or damage they cause to other persons or property. Participants further
agree to defend, indemnify, release, and hold the Released Parties harmless
from any claims related to their participation including damage to other
persons and property, and from any claims that their use of their Entry (as
contemplated in these Rules) violates or infringes upon the rights of any third
party. Participants waive the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including,
but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
Disputes: All disputes arising out of or related to
these rules, the Competition, or any other matter shall be resolved through
binding arbitration filed and heard in New Orleans, Louisiana pursuant to
American Arbitration Association Rules using a single arbitrator. Each contestant waives any rights to
challenge this forum and venue or the application of Louisiana law. Should this arbitration agreement be held
non-enforceable or in order to enforce an arbitration
award, each contestant irrevocably submits and consents to the jurisdiction and
venue of the courts located in Orleans Parish, Louisiana and waives any
objection that such forum is inconvenient.
All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity,
interpretation, and enforceability of these Terms and Conditions, participant’s
rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of TOTCF in connection
with the Competition, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with,
the laws of Louisiana, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict
of law rules (whether of Louisiana or any other jurisdiction), which would
cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than
Louisiana. Each contestant agrees that
any claim or dispute related to the Competition shall be conducted only on an
individual basis and not in a class, collective, or representative action or as
a named or unnamed member in a class, collective, consolidated, or private
attorney general action.
Event Organizer: The Competition is brought to you by Tales of
the Cocktail Foundation, ℅ Taylor & Willis CPAs, 3500 N Causeway
Blvd, Suite 1145, Metairie, LA 70002.