April 19, 2024

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Shaking Up The Competition: The Fine Art of Judging Cocktails

25 local Sarasota Restaurants compete for bragging rights!

🧑‍⚖️ I’ve Judged A Few Things in the Past 20+ Years of Food Writing. Back in the early 2010s, Chef Judi Gallagher and I used to judge the Sarasota Food & Wine Festival every year. That was always fun. Plus, I know about food!

A genuine honest-to-goodness Texas Chili Cookoff is on my judging resume. That one was pretty wild. It required me to attend a mini Texas Chili school. I passed with flying colors. (It wasn’t that tough!) 🌶️

This would be a bit different. I know something about cocktails. Not everything, but something. I have definite opinions about what I prefer. I guess that’s like most people.

🍹 Judging cocktails should be easy, right? But just like so many other things that seem like a pretty light lift, it’s not.

For one thing, experienced craft cocktail pros have poured their hearts, souls, and imaginations into creations that are ultimately contained in a single vessel. And sometimes, they are either approved or dismissed in a single sip. That doesn’t really seem fair. But so goes the cocktail game…

Now For the Good News. I would not be on my own on this one…

The Sarasota-Manatee Originals know how to throw a party. In this case, a cocktail party! A great BIG cocktail party. 🥳

Once again, The Originals dialed up the perfect cloudless 78° day. And over 500 of their nearest and dearest friends showed up to enjoy it. 

The Set the Bar Cocktail Competition is one of those events that locals wait for. It doesn’t have the history yet, or the rabid following that Forks and Corks has, but give it time. It will definitely get there.

Set the Bar is a juried cocktail affair. Maybe you guessed that from the word “competition” in its name. It’s judged in two very distinct parts.

Part one is where all of those people you see strolling the grounds of Ed Smith Stadium in the image above come in. They are sampling the offerings from 25 local Sarasota restaurants and getting ready to cast their vote for “People’s Choice – Best Cocktail.”

Nothing can stroke a mixologist’s ego like the adoration of hundreds of mixed drink enthusiasts patiently waiting for a taste of their latest creation.

Then, there is part two. This is where I come in. And the seven other judges picked to whittle down all of these delicious drinks. We’ll select five category winners (rum, tequila, vodka, whiskey, and gin) and a Best in Show winner.

Here’s the Nitty Gritty of Judging a Cocktail Competition!

• There were eight judges divided into two groups of four. One group would judge two categories. The other would judge three. Guess where I ended up? 🤔

My judging partners charged with rating the gin, vodka, and tequila group would be Broc Smith (owner of Dive Wine & Spirits and the Hive Bar), Emma Merritt (she has years of experience in the cocktail trade and traveled the farthest of all the judges, from Vermont!), and Topher Nalefski (sommelier and local cocktail connoisseur).

📝 I have kind of an uneasy history with gin that dates back to college. Most of us have had an issue with one thing or another at some point. Surprisingly, my sampling of the gin entries went without a hitch. Thankfully, time has dulled my memory of past unpleasant events. 😁

There is a ton of practical and theoretical cocktail experience at this table. It is not an easy task to pick up on the complexities and details of some of these entries.

I’m on the lagging end of that experience spectrum, to be sure. But I’m also a pretty quick study. And what I may lack in expertness, I more than make for in the enthusiasm department!

Let’s look at some of what we had to judge.

• As you would expect, there are components to all of this. All of the entries are rated on their appearance, aroma, body, taste, and finish. There were five cocktails in each of the liquor categories. That means 15 drinks to sample! Pacing would be important (but hopefully not an issue).

📝 To be perfectly honest, I have absolutely no idea if there were issues in the past, but we did get this warning from our “handlers.”

“We ask that you maintain professionalism and do not consume so much alcohol that you become inebriated.” 😮

While the eight of us were doing our “thing,” THIS was happening outside our super-secret judging location…

Bartenders – doing what they do best!

Of course, there was some food. Drinking on an empty stomach isn’t the best strategy.

Yes, there was music to accompany the day. 🎶

And people just generally having a great time on a beautiful Sunday afternoon!

Meanwhile, back in the judge’s room, the drinks keep coming…

🗣️ The Table Talk Was Fascinating. There are “big picture” evaluators of drinks, and there are dissectors. Everyone has their own style, I guess. My fellow judges were diving deep into how each of these entries was constructed and what worked and what didn’t.

Each of the cocktails that we sampled had plenty of positive attributes. Picking a winner was not going to be easy. Sometimes, the differences were very subtle. This was WAY harder than I thought it would be.

After the dust had settled, there were winners. Let’s take a look at who came out on top!

2024 COMPETITION RESULTS

BEST TABLESCAPE, judged by Clive Daniel Home

Fins at Sharky’s

WINNER VODKA CATEGORY, powered by Stateside Urbancraft Vodka

Restaurant: Tsunami

Bartender: Jacob Lesitsky

Cocktail: Strawberry Yuzu Lemondrop

Stateside Urbancraft Vodka, Yuzu, House-Made Strawberry Syrup, Strawberry Glitter Garnish

WINNER RUM CATEGORY, powered by Papa’s Pilar Rum

Restaurant: The Waterfront

Bartender: Hunter Peterson

Cocktail: Papas Pineapple Perfection

Pineapple-Brown Sugar Shrub, Fresh Lemon Sour, Aperol, Papas Pilar Blonde, Angostura Aromatic Bitters

WINNER GIN CATEGORY, powered by Big Storm Distillery

Restaurant: Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse

Bartender: Julie Asher

Cocktail: The Myakka Gold

Local Temple Orange and Meyer Lemon-Infused Big Storm Gin, Meyer Lemon Juice, Lavender-Infused Saw Palmetto Honey, Elderflower Liqueur, Lemon Powder

WINNER WHISKEY CATEGORY, powered by Doc Swinson’s Whiskey

Restaurant: Pops

Bartenders: Emily McCormick and Travis Smith

Cocktail: Bourbon Blue Bird

Blueberry-Infused Doc Swinson’s Bourbon, Brown Sugar Simple Syrup, Mint, Fresh Lemon, Club Soda, Gold Leaf, Blueberry and Mint Garnish

WINNER TEQUILA CATEGORY, powered by Dano’s Tequila

Restaurant: Jack Dusty

Bartenders: Heidi Finley and Gabriela Abaroa

Cocktail: Dream State

Black Sesame Infused Dano’s Tequila, Yellow Chartreuse, Lillet Blanc, Citrus Elixir, Poblano Agave, Crystal Clear Rose Ice, Black Sesame Paint, Cocktail Caviar

JUDGES PICK – BEST OVERALL COCKTAIL

Jack Dusty | Heidi Finley and Gabriela Abaroa | “Dream State”

PEOPLE’S CHOICE – BEST COCKTAIL

Restaurant: Kolucan

Bartender: Angel Nazario

Cocktail: Mullix

Smoked Tamarind Syrup, Dano’s Tequila, Spicy Lime Juice, Burnt Tortilla Rim, Dehydrated Jalapeños Garnish

What a fantastic afternoon for cocktail appreciators AND cocktail creators. I’m guessing more than a few attendees called it an early night. 💤

I’ve got some “homework” to do in the offseason if I want to up my judging game (and I do!). I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’m invited back for another year of cocktail consideration! 🍸

Cheers!

~ LH

📸 Thanks to Anna Denton for taking most of the fantastic images used in this piece.

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🗓️ SARASOTA FOOD EVENTS 🗓️ 

Here are some upcoming local food events that we think you might find interesting. All you need to do is make that reservation. We’ve provided you with a link to more info. 

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😋 MICHAEL’S ON EAST – MONTHLY EPICUREAN MENU – GREECE 

WEEKLY POP-UP KITCHEN EVENTS – 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottle Shop 

We’ve got a few things for you to do in the next days, weeks, and months. Get out there and take advantage of what our Sarasota restaurant community has to offer! ⬇️ 

APR 25 – Caymus Vineyards Wine Dinner – Pier 22 

APR 26 – Paul Hobbs Winery Wine Dinner – GROVE Restaurant 

APR 30 – Legacy Chef Wine Dinner – Cafe L’Europe 

MAY 1 – Klinker Brick Wine Tasting – Block 51 Cork & Craft 

MAY 5 – Cinco de Mayo – Kolucan 

MAY 16 – Silver Oak Wine Dinner – Mattison’s Forty-One 

🧑‍🌾 FARMER’S MARKET INFO ‍🌾 

EVERY SUNDAY – Siesta Key Farmer’s Market – DETAILS 

EVERY SUNDAY – Farmer’s Market at Lakewood Ranch – DETAILS 

EVERY SUNDAY – The Meadows Farmer’s Market – DETAILS 

EVERY WEDNESDAY – The Phillippi Farmhouse Market (Oct-Apr) – DETAILS 

THIRD THURSDAY NIGHT – RADD Night Market – DETAILS 

EVERY SATURDAY – Sarasota Farmer’s Market – DETAILS  

EVERY SATURDAY – Downtown Bradenton Public Market – DETAILS 

EVERY SATURDAY – Venice Farmer’s Market – DETAILS 

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