Hartford’s Chango Rosa hosted an Iron-chef style bartending competition and ugly sweater contest sponsored by Corralejo Tequila on December 18, 2017. Representatives from Allan S. Goodman, Eder Bros., Inc. and the United States Bartenders’ Guild Connecticut (USBG CT) chapter were in attendance as 14 bartenders competed in three rounds. Three finalists were selected for the championship round, where they were challenged to make a cocktail using anchovies as one of the ingredients. Roger Gross of Elm City Social took the win and received a bottle of Corralejo 99,000 Horas Anejo Tequila as the top prize. Finalists Max Fiore, Food and Beverage Director, Wintonbury Hills Golf Course, and Anthony Nastasi, Jr., Bar Manager, Plan B, Simsbury, received bottles of Corralejo Reposado Tequila. The competition was judged by Jeff Conelius, Craft Spirits Specialist, Allan S. Goodman; Daniel Rek, Bar Manager, Elm City Social and USBG CT Secretary and Chris Parrott, Owner, Little River Restoratives.
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- Hartford’s Chango Rosa hosted an iron-chef style bartender competition and ugly sweater competition on December 18, 2017.
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- Daniel Rek, Bar Manager, Elm City Social and USBG CT Secretary; Conrad Meurice, Bar Manager, Chango Rosa; and Brian Harris, Server, Chango Rosa.
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- Chris Munk, Craft Spirits Specialist, Eder Brothers and Jeff Conelius, Craft Spirits Specialist, Allan S. Goodman.
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- Matt Whitaker, Assistant Manager, Chango Rosa.
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- Varley Hopkinson, Barcelona, West Hartford.
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- Lisa Kazersky and Rick Pattavina, Infinium Spirits.
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- Roger Gross, Bartender, Elm City Social and Max Fiore, Food and Beverage Director, Wintonbury Hills Golf Course.
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- Jerome Philip, Bartender, Filomena’s Pizzeria and Conrad Meurice, Bar Manager, Chango Rosa.
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- Conrad Meurice and Max Fiore.
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- Varley Hopkinson, Barcelona, West Hartford; Anthony Nastasi, Jr., Bar Manager, Plan B, Simsbury; Chris Parrot, Owner, Little River Restoratives; Daniel Rek, Bar Manager, Elm City Social and USBG CT Secretary; Jeff Conelius, Craft Spirits Specialist, Allan S. Goodman; Ashley Lynn Lurie, Bar Manager, Tannery; Moises Ramirez, Bartender, Ordinary.
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- Adam Patrick, USBG CT President; Jamie Oakes, Bar Manager, Cure; Nikki Simches, Bar Manager, Cure; Stephanie Anderson, Bartender, The Blind Pig.
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- Jerome Philip, Bartender, Filomena’s Pizzeria; Clarissa LoNero, Bartender, Chili’s Grille & Bar; Michaela Zurstadt, Bartender, Olives & Oil; Max Fiore, Food and Beverage Director, Wintonbury Hills Golf Course.
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- Anthony Nastasi, Jr.’s cocktail in the final round.
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- Max Fiore’s cocktail in the final round.
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- The winning cocktail by Roger Gross of Elm City Social included use of the final required secret ingredient, anchovies, along with Corralejo Tequila, Wild Moon Cucumber Liqueur, lemon and simple syrup.
