As someone who spends a lot of time exploring food and drink stories, I am always interested in the people creating experiences that bring communities together. That is one of the reasons I have enjoyed following Flavor Camp and the work of Reece Sims.
This month’s Bearface BEAR-BON Challenge is a great example of what makes Flavor Camp different. Instead of encouraging bigger, bolder, or more complicated cocktails, the challenge focuses on something much simpler: creating a drink that tastes good and leaves people wanting another sip.
Meet the Woman Behind Flavor Camp
If you have spent any time in the Canadian spirits community, chances are you have come across Reece Sims.
Through Flavor Camp, Reece has built a community centred around flavour education, helping people understand what they are tasting and why they enjoy certain spirits, cocktails, and ingredients. Whether through guided tastings, educational content, or cocktail challenges, the goal is always the same: making flavour approachable.
What I appreciate most is that Flavor Camp welcomes everyone. You do not need to be a professional bartender or whisky expert to participate. Curiosity is often the only requirement.
That approach has helped Flavor Camp become one of Canada’s most engaging spirits communities, bringing together people who simply enjoy learning about what is in their glass.
What Is the Bearface BEAR-BON Challenge?
This month’s challenge asks participants to create an original cocktail using a minimum of 1 oz (30 ml) of Bearface BEAR-BON.
The brief encourages competitors to focus on the spirit’s natural character rather than covering it up. Bearface describes BEAR-BON as offering notes of sweet corn, caramel, vanilla, spice, oak, and orchard fruit, creating plenty of opportunities for creative cocktail development.
The emphasis is on balance and flavour: Just a well-crafted cocktail built around a spirit that already brings plenty of personality to the glass.
Why Simplicity Can Be Harder Than Complexity
Creating a complicated cocktail is easy.
Creating a simple cocktail that people remember is much harder.
When there are fewer ingredients involved, every choice matters. The balance has to be right. The flavours need to work together. Most importantly, the finished drink has to be something people genuinely want to order again.
That is what makes this challenge interesting. It rewards thoughtful creativity rather than complexity for the sake of complexity.
For bartenders and home enthusiasts alike, it is an opportunity to focus on the fundamentals and let flavour lead the way.
Four Chances to Win
The Flavor Camp Bearface BEAR-BON Challenge offers four opportunities to win prizes worth more than $500 in total.
Finalists may also have their cocktails professionally photographed and featured by Flavor Camp.
For those who cannot find Bearface BEAR-BON in their local market, Flavor Camp suggests experimenting with Bearface Triple Oak while developing recipes. If a cocktail advances to the final round, Reece will recreate it using BEAR-BON and make any necessary adjustments based on the spirit’s flavour profile.
Entries are open until June 17, 2026.
How to Enter
To participate, simply create an original cocktail recipe featuring at least 1 oz (30 ml) of Bearface BEAR-BON and submit it through Flavor Camp before the deadline.
Whether you are a professional bartender, an enthusiastic home mixologist, or someone who enjoys experimenting with flavours in the kitchen, the challenge offers a chance to showcase your creativity while learning more about cocktail construction.
Sometimes the best ideas are also the simplest. This challenge is proof that a great cocktail does not need a dozen ingredients to make an impression. It just needs balance, character, and flavour.
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