Hey is anyone doing this contest? I've only seen 1 post on youtube and it's ...nice.
But I haven't seen any threads on TC. I have my drink mostly done, something I have been working on for a while and Trader Vic's gave me a reason to finish it now I am working on the video.

Did any other entrants get a message from Vic's today about a "finals showdown?"

Yeah. I think they gave up on judging it. Instead of watching the videos and trying to write down the recipe and then get the ingredients and make them and judge them, they sadi "screw it!" and decided to make it a live contest instead.

That's great if attending the contest doesn't mean a $1000 trip to California. If I had won, I might make the trip. But...

Those of you who know me, know that I love Trader Vic's! I really do. But now I'm kinda pissed off.

So they had this contest and told everyone to make a video of themselves making an original rum-based cocktail, post it to YouTube, then send them a link to the video. Then they would pick a grand prize winner, 5 1st place winners, and 50 runners up. Now they've invited every person who submitted a video to a "finals showdown" at the restaurant to make the drinks for a jury and live audience before they make their decisions. Am I wrong in feeling like this is a bait & switch? Nothing in any of the original communications mentioned having to be judged in a live contest. I mean, it might make sense if they could narrow it down to just a handful of finalists for the live showdown. But no! They invited every single entry. Why did we go through the hassle (and yes, it really was a hassle) of making a video if we're just going to have to do it all over again in front of a live audience. Somebody please convince me this isn't a pretty crappy thing to do to a bunch of people who worked really hard to put together a good video just to learn that it wasn't enough.

Seems like a pretty crappy thing for them to do. Do we at least get to see your vid? :)

On 2010-11-09 18:07, MadDogMike wrote:
Seems like a pretty crappy thing for them to do. Do we at least get to see your vid? :)

Here's the FB discussion page that has links to videos that were submitted.
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=113466328674680&topic=166

Trader Vic's - Emeryville
Aloha!

Have a video ready to submit? Simply upload your link here to enter. We look forward to tasting some truly unique rum concoctions!

Mahalo!
about 2 months ago

Peter
Hi. I'm a longtime fan of Trader Vic's -- used to chat with Vic in his office on Cosmo Place. Here is the link to my video for the Rockin' Rum Contest.
Kathleen Mailliard Solmssen. ([email protected])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfPB_KXHi8g&hd=1
about 2 months ago

Paul
Who's thirsty?

Come to the islands with me and we'll conjure up a Stone God. Grab your shaker and let's make some cocktails!

Okole maluna!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUO3VDvPwNM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
about 2 months ago

Ken
Here's a tribute to all things Emeryville... an original-Trader Vic's style drink inspired by Disney/Pixar's happy, green, one-eyed monster Mike Wazowski. You may not be able to get banished to a tropical island either, but you can learn to make "Mike's Hawaiian Eye" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PZ0ObEs9mg
about 2 months ago

Chris
Here's my spin on a traditional grog, the Baron's Grog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPds969qKzs
about 2 months ago

Jennifer
Here's a new twist on a drink that has been a hit at my Tiki Oasis room parties for the past couple of years. We're calling this one The Moon of Manakoora. Okole Maluna!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4gno6O3mVI
about 2 months ago

Maria
Here's another for the competition, the Little Grass Shack! Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuPUsygxrgw
about 2 months ago

Matt
Your prescription for being too far away from a Trader Vic's: A Polynesian Painkiller. Take two, and you may not remember to call me in the morning!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3NoVNqnPJI

about a month ago

Jim
Aloha and welcome to the Ahulani Tiki Room! In this video we present the "Lava Tube" by Jim Ollerton and the "Kauai Krush" from Mike Heslin. May they take you back to the islands!

http://youtu.be/tsW_LvfGnUk?hd=1

Okole Maluna!
about a month ago

Heather
In celebration of The Rockin' Rum Contest...Please enjoy "The Golden Bikini."
Mahalo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smtxa3GnhLg
about a month ago

Tim
Hi Kids! Take a journey to the islands of DETROIT, MICHIGAN with me, TIM TIKI, and my spin on a classic! With a bit of hero worship and nearly 3 ounces of rum per headhunter mug comes THE ZUG ISLAND ZOMBIE!! This tasty and dangerously strong beverage would make even Don the Beachcomber proud! But BEWARE!!! The Zug Island Zombie will turn YOU into the walking dead, so please remain horizontal after consumption. Mahalo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1q99zsJaSY
about a month ago

Stewart
Come join me in my backyard tiki retreat. I'll make for you my signature drink the " Big Missile". Sit back, relax, and enjoy. May the stress of the day depart your mind, and may you escape to your own tropical paradise. Parahi, nana!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9V2UN_Efw8
about a month ago

Scott
Here we make Mai Tai's for 350...what else is one to do during a summer remodel?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik1W34STQJs

Mai Tais for 350:

Juice from 2000 limes
12 1.5 liter bottles dark rum
12 1.5 liter bottles light rum
6 1.5 liter bottles Orange Curacao
12 .75 liter bottles orgeat syrup
100 bundles of mint
Lots of ice

Enlist 3 friends to wash and halve the limes
Enlist 20 friends to squeeze 200 half-limes each
Enlist 5 friends to wash and separate mint into sprigs
Mix lime juice with all of the above in large drum
Serve over ice with shell of squeezed lime and sprig of mint
about a month ago

Tim
My entry is the:

Headshrinker

3 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Hyram Walker Coffee brandy
2 oz Myers's Dark Rum
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Infused Simple Syrup
1/4 oz lemon juice

Flash blend with 1 cup ice
Serve i Double Old Fashioned Glass topped with crushed ice
Garnish with lemon peel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht9JeWzGWTg
about a month ago

Kevin
Here's the recipe for my:

Blue Fever Mai Tai

1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Spiced or Dark Rum
1 oz Coconut Rum
1 oz Pineapple Rum
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Orgeat Syrup
1/4 oz Rock Candy Syrup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1bB0Cb7ZV8
about a month ago

Christian
A last minute entry from your friends at Bernal Tiki Refuge. We hope you enjoy our Polihale Punch! Mahalo!

PS. Now available in 720p!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKTPq-qc4Ds
about a month ago

and, uh... here's, uh... mine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRUFYN_5pvk

Haole'akamai,
Are you on FB now?

On 2010-11-09 18:22, Haole'akamai wrote:

Here's the FB discussion page that has links to videos that were submitted.
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=113466328674680&topic=166

Trader Vic's - Emeryville
Aloha!

When I was working on my video, I thought, this is a pretty poorly designed contest. How is it judged? They had us make a video, so they must be judging the video or is it the drink? I watched a few submissions and thought that it would be tough to recreate these recipes without a recipe, so I included my recipe in the post to make it easier. Then I wondered about some of the less common ingredients used. I also wondered if there was any travel expenses paid for the winner. And I see they expected over 50 entries... Imagien sitting down to judge this. Imagien if there were 70 entries...

Well, they got about a dozen entries. Not so horrible. But still a bit of work for someone to make the drinks and taste and judge them.

IMO, this is a cop out. They should suck it up and judge the entries. And be glad it isn't 75 entries.

If I won, I had considered paying for a trip out there to hang wit ma homies and mix drinks at Emoryville and have a nice trip. If they do this live thingy, I'll see if I can get someone to be my stand-in and make my drink for me.

It was a big apin to make my video as I was planning a long vacation at the same time... I assume I'll get a shirt out of it at least...

Like everyone else, I was super-excited about the video contest. As a long-time Trader Vic's fan, it seemed like a great opportunity to connect with the company on a deeper level.

As a person whose day job in the advertising world often involves working with contests and sweepstakes, I had some real concerns about the lack of structure this contest had from the start. But I chose to ignore those concerns because it was going to be a lot of fun.

I'm sensing that this contest was the result of a brainstorming session where someone came up with the concept but had no idea what it takes to legally execute it and didn't bother to do any research.

Big early mistake: no official rules! Other than needing to be 21 or over, there's no restictions whatsoever about who can enter, if the Grand Prize winner is responsible for providing their own transportation to Emeryville, etc. These rules are in place to protect not only the entrants but the company putting on the contest as well. My company has people call us and threaten to sue over contest entries on a weekly basis with very tight rules in place. With none, TV has no protection.

The organizers clearly over-estimated how many people were going to enter. I mananged to find a cached version of the announcement (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:51HuiZkj_TYJ:www.tradervics.com/%3F%26w%3D780%26h%3D580%26mode%3D0%26print%3D0%26click%3D0+trader+vic's+rockin+rum+video+contest&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us thanks Google!) and here's the original list of prizes:

GRAND PRIZE – Have your drink featured at Trader Vic’s Emeryville for a month and guest bartend for an evening!
1ST PRIZE - $150 Trader Vic’s Emeryville gift card to the top 5 videos!
HONORABLE MENTION – Trader Vic’s bartender shirt for the next best 50 drink videos!

They were easily expecting more than 52 entries and got a dozen or so. That must have been a big disappointment.

I suspect now that the dust has settled, management is trying to figure out how to make this work. Either intentionally or unintentionally changing the venue to a live event unfairly eliminates anyone not within driving distance to Emeryville.

To me it's pretty clear: since they ran this as a video contest, they need to keep it a video contest. Pick the winners, lick your wounds, send out bartender shirts to everyone that entered and issue an apology. Then have your local contest in a few months after the noise has died down.

I guess I'm going to wait for the next announcement from them and then decide what to do. Legal action isn't off the table, although I'd hate to resort to that. If that happens, anyone who wants to join in on the complaint is welcome.

Congratulations to the winners!

I think the TC drink contest got more entries than that.
However - looking at the videos - I believe that the competition was certainly up to par with any other contest out there. There really isn't another "chain" that pays this kind of attention to cocktails and their participants should be regarded as top shelf.

Congrats to Ken "I'll Sue" Kanaka. :wink:
I hope I can go out there with him and play a few tunes at a few venues and have a few cocktai... well - ok - not "a few" - but you get the drift.