West Hartford Competition Highlights Kyrö Distillery

A bartending competition highlighted spirits from Finland’s Kyrö Distillery Company at Sparrow Pizza Bar on April 12. Hosted by Michela Zurstadt, Bar Manager, Sparrow Pizza Bar, and the brand’s distributor Brescome Barton, with special guests Jouni Ritola, CEO, Kyrö Distillery Company, and Laura Graham, drinkwithfood.com, the competition featured the creations of 11 local bartenders who created an array of innovative cocktails featuring spirits from the Kyrö Distillery line. Judged by Ritola; Tim Cabral, Owner, Ordinary; and MeKayla Roy, The Beamhouse, the competition yielded four winners: Bridget Hurley, Sparrow Pizza Bar; Aaron Stepka, Drink Mechanics; David Blomberg, CT Cocktail Car; and Chelsea Solkowski, Max Downtown. Kyrö Distillery Company is a Finnish rye distillery founded in a sauna in 2012 and uses 100% Finnish rye to produce rye gin and rye whisky.

: Kyrö Pink Gin, Wood Smoke Straight Rye Whisky, Dark Gin, Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky and Gin.

: First-place winner Bridget Hurley, Sparrow Pizza Bar.

: Hurley’s cocktail, Naked and Finnish.

: Second-place winner Aaron Stepka, Drink Mechanics.

: Stepka’s cocktail, Rye’d on Time.

: Third-place winner David Blomberg, CT Cocktail Car.

: Blomberg’s cocktail, Drye Finnish.

: Fourth-place winner Chelsea Solkowski, Max Downtown.

: Solkowski’s cocktail, Finlandia.

: Competitor Zach O’Brien, Max Fish.

: O’Brien’s cocktail, Sanna Mirella.

: Competitor Sean D’Addio, Zinc.

: D’Addio’s cocktail, Queen of the Meadow.

: Competitor Ross Silver, Flinders Lane Kitchen & Bar.

: Silver’s cocktail, Bee’s High Knees.

: Competitor Dillon Jefferis, Mecha Noodle Bar.

: Jefferis’ cocktail, The Finisher.

: Competitor Zac Lyons, Fruitful Mixology.

: Lyons’ cocktail, Yuzu Ambassador.

: Competitor Brayden Costa, Sparrow Pizza Bar.

: Costa’s cocktail, Cissiz.

: Virtual Competitor Geoff Smith’s cocktail, Remi Lindholm, made by Michela Zurstadt, Bar Manager, Sparrow Pizza Bar.

: Michela Zurstadt, Bar Manager, Sparrow Pizza Bar; Laura Graham, drinkwithfood.com; and Competition Judges Jouni Ritola, CEO, Kyrö Distillery Company; Tim Cabral, Owner, Ordinary; and MeKayla Roy, The Beamhouse. Virtual competitor Geoff Smith dialed in via smartphone, shown in Roy’s hand.