By Kevin Wilkerson, San Diego Nightlife Blogger
There was a reason to celebrate and everyone did just that – bartenders, bars and the patrons – at the 2024 San Diego Cocktails Challenge, held Sunday, April 28 at the Rustic Root and Swing Social bars in the Gaslamp Quarter.
This was a competition among bartenders at some 20 bars all around San Diego, a showcase for them to present their very best and creative talents to the thirsty people who purchased tickets and downed all kinds of drinks in a festive, upbeat happy and, at the end, celebratory setting.
The winner was Monarch in Del Mar, the bar with a large deck overlooking the sea, for its Life’s A Peach made with Hendrick’s Gin, lemon juice, peach nectar, egg whites and orgeat. My pick was Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant for its simple twist on a margarita – pineapple, fiery serrano peppers and fresh lime, shaken with smooth Milagro Silver Tequila; served with jalapeño sea salt rim – proving that sometimes being good and simple beats out being exotic. The nautical-themed Captain’s Quarters station was my Best Presentation winner and the majority of people agreed with me that the best-named cocktail was the You’re Smoking Hot from the Gaslamp’s Whiskey House (Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky, chili-infused Aperol, vermouth, a float of scotch and orange bitters, garnished with dried orange and red chili).
The majority of the drinks were made with either gin or tequila, but there were also a couple of whiskey, vodka and even rum drinks.
Some 200 people attended and we all got got drink samples from each participating bar. And while those cocktails were size of a shot, the cumulative effect could be quite dizzying after a while (you were limited to one visit to each station). Fortunately, the event lasted for four hours – five for VIPs – so there was no need to rush around and slam them as if you were at some type of speed-drinking contest. Everyone was a judge; you were handed a card to make your votes.
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It took over both levels of Rustic Root, the outside Tiki Annex and the adjacent Swing Social, which had free plays of its games, kind of making it a 19th hole of sorts for those of us to attempted to play the golf simulator.
Throughout the sunny San Diego day, people would move between the areas, pausing to chat with fellow Cocktail Championship patrons, adding to the fun element of the event.
So the bottom line is, would I do it again? Absoutely, without question.
The event’s website is: 🍹🍸Cocktail Championship San Diego.
About PubClub.com And Kevin Wilkerson
PubClub.com is one of the original websites on the Internet. It features articles on nightlife, food & drink, events, activities, travel and sports. It has been featured in USA Today, the LA Times and American Way magazine, among other major media outlets. Kevin Wilkerson is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in daily newspapers and for the Associated Press. He is a resident of San Diego, CA.