
South Norwalk’s SoNo 1420 American Craft Distillers hosted multiple cocktail competitions across the state on Sept. 19 featuring its Blaze Cinnamon Flavored Whisky. Local bartenders competed in two locations — O’Neill’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in Norwalk and Tomato Joe’s in Rocky Hill — with two winners named from each location. O’Neill’s winners were Eva Spijkers, with her cocktail the Chaitini, and Jesus Marquez, SoNo Sky Bar, with his cocktail KC Cream, taking home first- and second-place prizes, respectively. Tomato Joe’s winners were Duane Sanchez, ATC South Street, and Spencer Carvalho, Quiver Spirits, taking home first- and second-place prizes, respectively. Winners from each competition were set to meet at the finals on Oct. 17 for the series championship at SoNo 1420 American Craft Distillers in Norwalk to be covered in the December issue of the Beverage Journal. Blaze Whisky is an award-winning cinnamon-flavored whiskey, handcrafted in small batches using the finest bourbon “blasted” with all-natural cinnamon sticks with a mash bill of 90% corn and 10% barley, 33% ABV. The distillery’s line of whiskeys, gins, vodkas and ready-to-drink cocktails are self-distributed in the state.
- Ted Dumbauld, Founder, SoNo 1420 American Craft Distillers; Eva Spijkers; Jesus Marquez, SoNo Sky Bar; and Ollie O’Neill, Owner, O’Neill’s Irish Pub & Restaurant.
- O’Neill’s Irish Pub & Restaurant competition judges Blake Poon, Master Mixologist, SoNo 1420 American Craft Distillers; Dan Rek, Beverage Director, Mecha Noodle Bar; and Andrew Dominick, Journalist and Photographer, CT Bites and Westchester magazine.
- First-place winner Eva Spijkers.
- Spijker’s cocktail, the Chaitini.
- Second-place winner Jesus Marquez, SoNo Sky Bar.
- Marquez’s cocktail, KC Cream.
- Competitor Steven Cueva.
- Cueva’s cocktail.
- Competitor Nikki Stein, Good Old Days Pizza.
- Stein’s cocktail.
- Competitor Ben Fuller, Coalhouse Pizza.
- Fuller’s cocktail.
- Competitor Pietro DiBlasi, Lantern Bar and Gastropub.
- DiBlasi’s cocktail.
- Judges at the second competition at Tomato Joe’s in Rocky Hill.
- SoNo 1420 Sales Representatives Matt Cantwell and Nick Barbieri handing out tastes of Blaze Whisky at Tomato Joe’s.
- Competitor Spencer Carvalho, Quiver Spirits.
- Carvalho’s cocktail.
- Competitor Suzie Johnson, Taino Prime.
- Johnson’s cocktail.
- Competitor Duane Sanchez, ATC South Street.
- Sanchez’s cocktail.
Photos courtesy of Amber Scinto and Ellyn Weitzman, SoNo 1420 American Craft Distillers.