The United States Bartender Guild Connecticut (USBG CT) chapter, along with Allan S. Goodman and Eder Bros, Inc., held their seventh and eighth cocktail competitions out of a series of 10 in the “Connecticut Civil War Bartending Competition.” The seventh event took place on July 11 at Elm City Social in New Haven. The competition featured Old Forester Bourbon. Jessica Rapuano, Bartender at Elm City Social, won first place.
The eighth cocktail competition was held at The Engine Room on July 25 and also featured Old Forester Bourbon. Nikki Simches, Bar Manager at Cure Restaurant, won first place with her cocktail “The Old Kentucky Tea Bag.” The last two rounds of the competition were held at The Loft on August 8 and Max Fish on August 22. A final competition will be held in September at Mezzo’s Grille.
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- The USBG CT Civil War Bartending Competition took place on the rooftop at Elm City Social.
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- The competitors at the event.
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- Jessica Rapuano, Bartender, Elm City Social, won the seventh competition.
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- The selection of cocktails made during the competition.
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- Old Forester Bourbon was the featured spirit at both competitions. The Kentucky brand is the longest running bourbon on the market, at approximately 145 years old. It was first bottled and marketed in 1870 by George Garvin Brown, the founder of the Brown-Forman Corporation.
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- The cocktails created during the July 25 competition.
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- Jeff Conelius, Craft Spirit Specialists, Allan S. Goodman; Tom Kachmarck, CT State Manager, Brown-Forman; Nick Georgetti, Engine Room; Nikki Simches, First Place Winner; Erick Karadimas, Abigail’s.
