Forget your Game of Thrones skirmishes, the battle for bar dominance has been happening locally for much longer. This weekend kicks off the 2017 Iron Bartender and trust me, there are much more enjoyable spoils of war at this clash.
Every Sunday night through October, teams of bartenders representing restaurants, bars, and distilleries, will go head to head in a battle royale at Amsterdam Bar and Hall in St. Paul. With two bars set up on stage, two teams at a time will compete to make two custom cocktails featuring a secret ingredient revealed on the spot. Will it be ketchup? Will it be Worcestershire? Will it be Cool Ranch Doritos? Only Robb Jones, top libation pro with Gavin Kaysen's Soigne Hospitality and current head of the USBG MSP chapter knows. And he's kinda mean. Not really.
The cocktails will be made and then judged by an esteemed panel, which may include judges such as restaurateur Tim Niver, spirits legend Eric Seed of Haus Alpenz, and past IB winners such as Adam Harness. There's smack talk, there's cajoling, blood may be drawn. From each head to head battle, a winner will be chosen to move to the next Sunday's round, and the battles intensify. Sometimes, an expected golden horse contender gets knocked out by an up-and-coming dark horse team, and that's just the way the ice cracks.
If you come to cheer on your favorite bar team or resto, or you just want to see how wildly creative cocktails can be created on the fly, you'll get to enjoy a signature punch drink made by each team. There are also silent auction goodies and prizes which all help drive more money to their charity partner, Share Our Strength, which does a righteous battle with hunger.
For non-St. Paulies there will also be a FREE SHUTTLE from The Hewing Hotel, starting at 4:30pm on an hourly basis on competition days. You can buy the $15 ticket in advance or pay $20 at the door, or just pony up for a 4-week pass for $50, since you are supporting a good cause.
Are you in? Are you excited?? I'll be emceeing on the stage every week, cranking up the attitude and making it fun. Each week the Amsterdam bar will have a special cocktail that features a sponsoring spirit of the competition, and will donate $1 of each drink to Share our Strength. I will buy TEN random people one of these drinks each Sunday, so come drink with me! Here are the contenders:
Week 1: OCT 8
- Norseman vs. Kierans
- Red Rabbit vs. Lyn 65
- Young Joni vs. Day Block
- Hewing vs. Loon Liquors
- Sponsoring Spirit: Tanqueray Gin
Week 2: OCT 15
- The Doggery vs. Pajarito
- Esker Grove vs. Zen Box
- Hi Lo Diner vs. Lawless Distilling
- Hola Arepa vs. Eat Street Social
- Sponsoring Spirit: Bulleit Bourbon
Week 3: OCT 22
- Winning Teams from the first two weeks.
- Sponsoring Spirit: Don Julio Tequila
Week 4: OCT 29
- The FINALS! Costumes are encouraged!
- Sponsoring Spirit: Johnnie Walker
