Members of the United States Bartenders Guild Connecticut (USBG CT) chapter participated in a cocktail competition featuring the the locally-owned brand, Hotel California Tequila. Contestants gathered at Ceviche Latin Kitchen in Middlebury on March 22, 2015 for chance to win the coveted Hotel California Tequila belt buckle. The grand prize winner was Sam Coelho from Watertown’s Main Street Grill. In second place was Christtian Quezada of NEAT in Westport and third place went to Joseph Aceto of Mezzo Grille in Middletown. The ultra-premium brand offers Hotel California Tequila Blanco, Resposado and Añejo.
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- Matt Pierce, USBG CT member, during the cocktail competition.
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- Dennis Rochford, Regional Brand Manager, Hotel California Tequila; Christtian Quezada, Second Place; Sam Coelho, First Place Winner; Dimitrios Zahariadis, Chapter President, USBG CT; and Joe Aceto, Third Place.
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- Paula Whitney, Marketing Director at Hotel California with Dennis Rochford, Regional Brand Manager of Hotel California.
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- Christtian Quezada mixes it up as competitor Jamie Johel looks on.
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- Judges Paul Mazurek, Treasurer, USBG CT; Corey Bonderenko, Bartender, Vasi’s; and Brian Whitney, CEO of Hotel California Tequila.
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- Sam Coelho prepares his winning cocktail “Shimmering Lights.”
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- The collection of cocktails prepared during the Hotel California Tequila cocktail competition held at Ceviche Latin Kitchen.
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- Hotel California Tequila bottles and the grand prize belt buckle. Each bartender had seven minutes to craft a cocktail using Hotel California Tequila.
