Benedictine Battle: Alchemists of Our Age

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Alchemists, bartenders, mixologists, whatever you are calling yourselves these days--you have exactly one week to submit your best recipes for the "Alchemists of Our Age" competition sponsored by Benedictine and Esquire. In celebration of the spirit's 500th anniversary, cocktail slingers are being asked to step up and create a signature Benedictine drink that will honor the past and future of this liqueur created to revive Benedictine monks in 1510.

Cognac-based and created from 27 herbs and spices from around the globe (including angelica, hyssop, lemon balm, myrrh, saffron, aloe, arnica, and cinnamon), Benedictine's full recipe is a closely-guarded secret. Competitors are asked to submit recipes that use local ingredients yet are cost-effective, balanced yet intriguing, and the drink should tell a story, too.

The mixologist who creates the most exciting and unique cocktail will be chosen by renowned author and mixologist Dave Wondrich. Regional favorites will be featured in an Esquire recipe booklet with the overall winner appearing in a stand-alone Esquire profile in March 2010.

Submit your cocktail to alchemists@nikecomm.com by September 8th, and good luck!

Selena Ricks-Good

Selena Ricks-Good is a New York-based writer and digital strategist with more than 15 years in journalism, brand development, and content marketing. Her writing on food, drinks, travel, and culture has appeared in CBS New York, Time Out New York, Village Voice, and Thrillist. She founded Little Good Life to fill the gap she kept hitting in her own life: thoughtful, opinionated travel writing for families whose kids are past the stroller years. She lives in New York with her husband and a travel-soccer-playing teenage son who has firm opinions about crudo, boba, and pizza.