2009 GRAND MARNIERŽ and NAVANŽ "On the Fly" Competition
To Showcase Cocktail Shakedown at Tales of the Cocktail
Friday, July 10, 2009, 7:00 - 8:30 pm at the W HOTEL, New Orleans

Grand MarnierŽ and NAVANŽ will once again sponsor the second annual "On the Fly" Competition at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans on Friday, July 10, 2009. Television personality Kevin Brauch of Iron Chef America and Thirsty Traveler will join acclaimed mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler as the official Masters of Ceremonies and keepers of the mystery ingredients, unveiling the secret guidelines for competitors in a thrilling cocktail shakedown.

The 2009 GRAND MARNIER and NAVAN "On the Fly" Competition will celebrate the creativity and last-minute inventiveness of eight top bar stars, working exclusively with the ingredients found in Jeffrey Morgenthaler's bag of tricks. Confronted with a variety of challenges, the contestants will push their originality and skill "on the fly" in front of an audience of hundreds of their peers and cocktail aficionados. The mixologist who executes the most original cocktail creation will win the "On the Fly" trophy, as judged by a highly discriminating panel of judges including Tony Abou-Ganim, Bridget Albert, Antoine Gervais, Xavier Herit, Francesco Lafranconi and Dale DeGroff. The eight contestants are Eric Alperin of Los Angeles, Paul Clarke of Seattle, Michael Glassberg of New Orleans, Giuseppe Gonzales of New York, Misty Kalkofen of Boston, Todd Thrasher of Washington, Neyah White of San Francisco and David Wondrich of New York.

Last year's winner, John Lermayer from the Florida Room in Miami, received the 2008 GRAND MARNIER and NAVAN "On the Fly" trophy with his triumphant on-the-spot creation, The Alana Marie, a blend of NAVAN and fresh raspberries in a walnut-port reduction.

Building upon the brands' history of excellence in mixology, GRAND MARNIER and NAVAN, who also host the annual Mixology Summit in Vail, Colorado, are proud to endorse cocktail creativity and fast-paced, cutting-edge innovation. The 2009 GRAND MARNIER and NAVAN "On the Fly" Competition will spotlight the ingenuity of eight accomplished cocktail masters, while demonstrating the incredible versatility and technique of mixology today.