DECEMBER 1, 2009 -- If the head-to-head battles seen in Iron Chef and the NCAA Basketball Tournament were rolled into one event, it’d be akin to the Cocktail Competition, coming to El Dorado Cocktail Lounge on December 8.
Eight local standout bartenders will be put into a single-elimination bracket, and compete with each other until one is declared the top ’tender.
“The goal is to showcase the bartenders in San Diego who are paying more attention to the products they’re using, and the techniques,” says El Dorado co-owner Nate Stanton. “We want to encourage bartenders all over town to have more integrity with the drinks.”
The “Elite 8” bartenders will include: Trevor Thorpe (The Merk), Ian Ward (Whisknladle), Eric Johnson (El Dorado), Scott Shumate (Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina), Frankie Thaheld (Alchemy), Ariana Johnson (Confidential), Garth Flood (Cowboy Star) and Tim Stevens (Prohibition).
The competition will require bartenders to create a well-balanced cocktail in five minutes, one-on-one, using pre-determined liquors and other fresh ingredients. Contestants can muddle, shake or stir to the requirements of their personal recipes.
A panel of judges will determine the winner, who will receive a $500 Preiss Imports Spirits spending spree. To RSVP for the event, go to El Dorado, or call 858-458-9172, xt. 116.