Atlantic City Cocktail Challenge
By Krystle J Bailey
Do you have what it takes to compete in the Atlantic City Cocktail Challenge?
If you’ve ever found yourself sipping a cocktail inside of a New Orleans bar, you’ve probably tried a “Hurricane” or two. Maybe you’ve enjoyed a “Mint Julep” in Kentucky, a “Dark and Stormy” in Bermuda, or a “Miami Vice” in Miami. These signature cocktails are synonymous with the cities in which they were invented. They’re more than drinks for the visiting guests though, they’re experiences of the city. Soon, Atlantic City natives and tourists will be find themselves drinking the infamous cocktail of our city.
This June through July, bars and restaurants in Atlantic City will compete for their chance to win the bragging rights as the Atlantic City Cocktail Challenge Winner. Participating establishments will let their creatively spiked juices flow to develop Atlantic City’s Signature Cocktail. What we know for sure is that the final beverage will include 48 Blocks Vodka – a vodka distilled in the heart of the city by Little Water Distillery.
No matter which signature cocktail wins the title, this fun and exciting competition, is a winner for everybody who participates. The restaurants and bars have a unique opportunity to drive traffic to their establishment and invite their customers to engage in the fun. Locals and guests of Atlantic City have the opportunity to participate in a little friendly competition and have their say in what will ultimately be the drink of the city. The 48 Blocks Vodka that will be used in all of the contending cocktails is a signature vodka only sold in Atlantic City. Little Water Distillery donates $0.50 from each bottle of 48 Blocks Vodka sold to the Atlantic City Arts Foundation (ACAF), a foundation created to foster an environment in which diverse arts and cultural programs enrich the quality of life for residents and visitors to Atlantic City. What’s even better is that participating establishments will be able to show off their 48 Blocks Vodka creations to the throngs of visitors and arts enthusiasts during the 48 Blocks Arts Festival sponsored by the ACAF during the weekend of June 23-24 throughout Atlantic City.
When the challenge launches this June, bars, restaurants, and casinos will be invited to participate by creating and promoting their unique take on what they believe will be the signature drink of Atlantic City. Entries will be submitted to an app, which will be announced in the coming days via all of the challenge sponsors. Patrons and fans will then have an opportunity to vote via the mobile app. After the five week voting period, the top 10 finalists by popular vote will make it into the final judging event. In addition to the popular vote, each of the industry expert judges will be invited to choose one of their favorites as a finalist. Final judging will be based on one vote per judge and the winner will be celebrated publicly by each of the challenge sponsors.
Sponsors include Shore Local Newsmagazine, Atlantic City Arts Foundation, #ThisIsAC, CRDA, and Little Water Distillery.
Criteria for the challenge includes timelessness, non-seasonality, efficiency of preparation, cost effectiveness, broadness of appeal, originality and iconic nature of the name, and originality of ingredients.
Get your game faces on, bartenders! For the rest of us, get your judging lips ready to sip on some delicious cocktails this summer.
Plug into Shore Local Newsmagazine and Little Water Distillery on our Facebook and Instagram for breaking and up to date information on this exciting city wide challenge. To find out how to participate contact info@littlewaterdistillery.com
