Mixologists to face off for $1,000 cash prize in Lexington on Aug. 4

Will create cocktail using Town Branch Rye and Ale-8-One

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 23, 2014) — Five bartenders will compete from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 4 at the Town Branch Distillery to create the best cocktail using Town Branch Rye and Ale-8-One. The winner earns $1,000, has cocktail naming rights and entrance into the Bourbon Social Barrel Cup Cocktail Competition in October.

Cocktails will be judged on taste, presentation and creativity. Tickets for the contest are $25, which includes samples of the five drinks, food and Ale-8-One. The winning drink will also be available during a free event from 5-9 p.m. on Aug. 14 at Parlay Social in downtown Lexington.

The finalists and there drinks are:

• Shayne Bates of Enoteca in Lexington: Bates’ “Pistacia Vera” cocktail recipe includes brown sugar, pistachio liqueur, Crème de Cassis, and Ale-8-One candied raspberries, making for a creamy, dessert-like drink.
• Adam Geissler of Bour-Bon in Paris, Contract Bartender in Lexington: Geissler’s “Town Branch Sour” features lime juice, Town Branch Bourbon, orange bitters, soda and a mild French apéritif with a red wine base, flavored lightly with quinine, coffee and bitter orange, creating a citrusy cocktail with notes of orange.
• Jonathan Sizemore of Sutton’s Restaurant and Atomic Café in Lexington: Sizemore’s “A Late One on the Town” concoction features vanilla citrus liqueur, grapefruit bitters, fresh grapefruit, fresh ginger and vanilla bean cane sugar, creating a unique, layered flavor dimension designed to amplify the taste of a Southern favorite – bourbon and ginger ale.
• Lauren Sundberg of Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel in Lexington: Sundberg’s “Rye You So Good?” cocktail features muddled fresh grapefruit and sage, creating a unique tart, earthy combination that enhances the depth of Town Branch Rye, making for a savory cocktail.
• Daniel Weeks of Shorty’s in Lexington: His “Town Toast” cocktail was inspired by French Toast with strawberry syrup and features muddled strawberry, vanilla, and cinnamon for a refreshing, crisp summer taste.