by Steven Doyle photos by Susan Migdol
Last night the organizers of Chefs for Farmers invited a thirsty hoard of people to stop by The Chesterfield to enjoy a cocktail tasting sponsored by Patron Tequila and FreshPoint. Guest bartenders crafted a special concoction using the tequila to ply the crowd for votes and to get them excited about the upcoming chef event.
The list of barmen included Kyle Hilla from Bolsa, Abe Bedell from Oak, Lucky from Chesterfield, Brad Hensarling from The Usual in Fort Worth (he also oversees the cocktail program at CampO), and Jason Kosmas from Marquee.
The crowd swelled to at least 100 filling the bar double the capacity. The barmen offered their cocktails at a separate table for sampling and judging, but guests could also buy a full-sized cocktail from their choice of bartenders.
Passed appetizers created by Chesterfield chef Michael Ehlert kept the crowd satisfied as they slurped up the samplings before the contest was finally tallied. Abe Bedell was finally pronounced the winner in the heated battle and his cocktail will be featured at the May 6 Chefs for Farmers event.
Bedell’s winning mix was what he called a Patron Punch made with Patron Silver, and fresh lime, raspberry, pineapple and jalapeno. The chile gave the punch a slight kick that cut the sweetness.
“My man Abe Bedell took home the gold. It was a pleasure to share the well with Brad. Also kudos to Kyle Hilla and of course thank you to Eddie “Lucky” Campbell, the most “fancy pants” bartender for hosting the event,” said Jason Kosmas earlier today.
It was a pretty terrific evening and definitely had everyone excited about the May 6 event which will be held at Lee Park.
