The Industrial Cocktail Bar hosted a cocktail competition highlighting Slocum & Sons portfolio brands in New Britain on Aug. 14. The event featured the talents of 10 local bartenders creating their best cocktails for judges featuring agave spirits from the Casa Lumbre spirits portfolio. At the close of the evening, competition judges John Tsipouras, Slocum & Sons; Mekayla Roy, The Beamhouse; and Chris Langworth, Casa Lumbre, chose three top contenders: First place: Chelsea Solkowski, with her cocktail, I Wanna Shuck You Like an Animal; Second place: Alexandra Leone, Union Kitchen, with her cocktail, Le Mazet; and Third place: Carlee Carvalko, Olives and Oil, with her cocktail, Garden Party. Guests enjoyed drink specials, food from vendors within The Assembly Room and music spun by DJ Darth Fader.
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- Slocum & Sons featured selections from Casa Lumbre during a cocktail competition at New Britain’s The Industrial Cocktail Bar on Aug. 14.
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- Nixta Licor De Elote, Ojo de Tigre Artesanal Mezcal, Abasolo El Whisky De Mexico, Las Californias Nativo Gin and Las Californias Cítrico Gin.
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- Back row: Marlon Soriano, Co-owner, The Industrial Cocktail Bar; Rocco McNelly, The Charles; Gregory Spuches, Flora Plant Food + Drink; Zachary O’Brien, Max Fish; John Tsipouras, Sales Representative, Slocum & Sons; Jack Forbes, Union Kitchen; Alexandra Leone, Union Kitchen; Suzie Johnson, Fire by Forge; Kristin Kaufman, I Know You Know; and Andres Soriano, Co-owner, The Industrial Cocktail Bar. Front row: Chelsea Solkowski; Carlee Carvalko, Olives and Oil; Dustin Amore, Little River Restoratives; and Chris Langworth, Regional Sales Manager – Northeast and Control Markets, Casa Lumbre.
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- First-place winner Chelsea Solkowski.
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- Solkowski’s winning cocktail, I Wanna Shuck You Like an Animal, a blend of Las Californias Cítrico Gin, Ojo de Tigre Artesanal Mezcal, cinnamon chili honey and Nixta Licor de Elote, garnished with flaming husk and Oaxacan worm salt.
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- Second-place winner Alexandra Leone, Union Kitchen.
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- Leone’s cocktail, Red Pearl, a blend of Las Californias Gin Nativo, Cocchi Rosa, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Amontillado sherry, Crème de Fraise and Nixta Licor de Elote with juice of muddled cherry tomato, garnished with red pearl pepper.
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- Third-place winner Carlee Carvalko, Olives and Oil.
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- Carvalko’s cocktail, Garden Party: Las Californias Cítrico Gin, lemon juice, orange blossom simple syrup, orange bitters and grapefruit bitters, garnished with green onion foam and candied rhubarb.
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- Competitor Dustin Amore, Little River Restoratives.
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- Amore’s cocktail.
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- Competitor Suzie Johnson, Fire by Forge.
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- Johnson’s cocktail.
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- Competitor Kristin Kaufman, I Know You Know.
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- Kaufman’s cocktail.
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- Competitor Rocco McNelly, The Charles.
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- McNelly’s cocktail.
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- Competitor Jack Forbes, Union Kitchen.
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- Forbes’ cocktail.
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- Competitor Zachary O’Brien, Max Fish.
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- O’Brien’s cocktail.
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- Competitor Gregory Spuches, Flora Plant Food + Drink.
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- Spuches’ cocktail.
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- Competition judges Mekayla Roy, Bartender, The Beamhouse; John Tsipouras, Sales Representative, Slocum & Sons; and Chris Langworth, Regional Sales Manager – Northeast and Control Markets, Casa Lumbre.
