Highland Imports, in collaboration with Endless West, hosted a molecular cocktail competition at Sherkaan Indian Street Food in New Haven on December 9, 2019. Using the featured spirit, Glyph Molecular Whiskey, the world’s first molecular whiskey, competing bartenders created cocktails for judges employing at least one molecular technique. Submissions were judged on creativity, hypothesis and flavor profile. Dan Rek of Elm City Social was the grand prize winner, with his cocktail Spherified Whiskey Sour suspended in Milk Washed Whiskey Old Fashioned. Rek devised a false lemon juice for the whiskey sour and created a whiskey aroma mixture using Clément Mahina Coconut, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, Amaro Averna, orange extract, rum extract, vanilla extract and oak extract. Rek received a trip for two to Endless West’s headquarters in San Francisco, where he will create and bottle his own custom molecular whiskey. Michela Zurstadt of High George was the first runner-up with her cocktail, Glyph in the Gaslight. Dave Blomberg of the CT Cocktail Car and Forks & Fingers was the second runner-up with his cocktail, When Worlds Colloid, which featured brown-butter-washed Glyph Molecular Whiskey, Gran Classico, Cardamaro, salt and a theoretical banana bread tincture, topped with Luxardo foam.