by Steven Doyle
This weekend chef Kent Rathbun hosted his third annual Cocktail Showdown that enlisted the cream of each of his restaurant locations bar staff in an all-out boozy brouhaha. The stakes were high; the winner will be shuffled off to Vegas for a national competition.
Along with the various drink stations where each bartender was in heated battle to produce the best cocktail using Gray Goose or Bombay Sapphire. In the back of the house chef Rathbun was driving his kitchen staff aided by his Dirty Dozen cooking class members to feed the hungry hoard that showed up to judge the competition.
On the plate was a large variety of smoked meats including ribs, brisket and a whole hog. The sides were equally masterful with such dishes as a blue cheese Cole Slaw, slivers of corn on the cob, and the best corn muffins ever to be introduced to my belly.
Back behind the bar, Jasper’s barmen John Moody took top prize for his Grey Goose Cool-Aid, and Jason Long from Abacus was victorious for his delicious Bombay Sapphire mint gimlet that was a definite crowd favorite.
Rathbun hosts these cocktail showdowns each year and is open to the public. Check these pages for the next event.
