Tropicana Atlantic City and the Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall were the big winners of the HEROtini Mocktail Challenge at the award night held Thursday, Oct. 30 at Harbor Pines Golf Club.
With a total gift of $10,247 Tropicana won the Chairman’s Award as the top casino entry in the summerlong competition to find the most popular non-alcoholic mocktails for designated drivers.
Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall raised $6,547 to take top honors in the bar and tavern division among 24 participating establishments.
The mocktail contest raised an overall total of $48,000 for the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign and its mission to prevent drunk driving.
Gourmet Italian Cuisine took second place and Harpoons on the Bay third place among bars and taverns. Harrah’s took second place and Caesars third place in the casino division.
In the “Best Tasting Mocktail” competition, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall took first place in the Judge’s Choice category, Shay’s Restaurant came in second and Dock’s Oyster House took third. In the People’s Choice category, Shay’s took the top prize, Josie Kelly’s Public House was second and Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall was third.
The New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and other area business sponsors also contributed to the contest, held between July and October.
“We are excited to receive this award as recognition of Tropicana’s commitment to the HERO Campaign and its life-saving mission,” said Joseph Giunta, Tropicana Atlantic City’s senior vice president and general manager. “This contribution was the result of our summer promotion that invited Tropicana guests to dedicate a portion of their winnings to the charity in support of the casino’s ‘Ginger Spice’ mocktail.”
“We and our Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall team are thrilled to have won top bar and tavern honors in the HEROtini contest,” said Sal Spena, the bar’s general manager and partner. “And it’s all for a cause we support and believe in.”
Both Tropicana and Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall received large martini-glass-shaped HEROtini trophies at an award ceremony held Thursday, Oct. 30 at Harbor Pines Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township. They also both won trips to attend future Phillies games next season in a private suite donated by the Aramark food service company.
In addition to highway billboards, the HERO Campaign has wrapped more than 40 police department patrol cars with its blue and yellow symbol and its signature message: “Be a HERO. Be a Designated Driver.” More than 100,000 motorists have taken the online HERO Pledge to be designated drivers for friends and family members.
