Serious stirring and shaking is about to happen, thanks to the New York return of Speed Rack, the all-female speed-bartending competition that raises money for breast cancer charities. The fourth national tour will stop in New York on Sunday, December 14, as it strives to bring together 21 of the best, brightest and fastest female bartenders in the region. Expect fast-paced action, free-flowing cocktails and a rocking good time. In 2015, the tour will expand globally to Canada and France and continue efforts in the U.K., making Speed Rack the one and only all-female, international bartending competition.
Contestants will compete in timed heats to make rounds of cocktails, culled from a list of 50 accepted industry-standard classic recipes, in front of a panel of judges and a crowd of excited viewers. Judges rate each drink based on prep time and accuracy. The judging panel at Speed Rack New York will feature such leading cocktail-world luminaries as: Julie Reiner (owner of Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club), Dave Wondrich (world-renowned cocktail historian and writer), Steve Olsen aka wine geek and founding partner of Beverage Alcohol Resource) and Amy Zavatto (Contributing Editor, Imbibe magazine and author of the Architecture of the Cocktail). The evening will be emceed by Pernod Ricard’s Chris Patino and Bacardi Training Manager, Colin Asare-Appiah.
WHAT: Speed Rack New York
WHERE: Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 North 6th Street (between Wythe and Kent) Brooklyn, NY
WHEN: Sunday, December 14, 2014, at 3:00PM
COST: Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door
With suggested donation, attendees receive cocktails from our premium sponsors as well as treats from local food vendors.
WHY: To date, Speed Rack has raised more than $250,000 globally for breast cancer charities and elevated top female bartenders in America and abroad who go shaker-to-shaker competing for industry glory and a Speed Rack title.
THE CONTENDERS:
Sara Bei – Mulberry Project
Ranjini Bose – Dear Irving
Jessica Dure – American Whiskey
Amanda Elder – Pouring Ribbons, Mayahuel
Karen Fu – Mayahuel, The Happiest Hour
Kayla Hasbrook – ABC Cocina
Lacy Hawkins – The NoMad, Clover Club
Dawn Heidemann – Flatiron Lounge, The NoMad
Chelsea Kaiser – Pouring Ribbons, Mayahuel
Lauren McLaughlin – Dutch Kills, Middle Branch
Meaghan Montagano – Extra Fancy
Sarah Morissey – Dear Irving
Erika Ordonez – 151, Mckittrick Hotel, The Happiest Hour
Micaela Piccolo – Distilled NY
Shannon Ponche – Mayahuel, Clover Club
Alisa Rabovsky – The Nomad Hotel
Tess Anne Sawyer – Mother’s Ruin, Sekend Sun
Shannon Tebay – Pouring Ribbons
Tiffany Diane Tso – Huckleberry Bar
Julie Renee Williams – Donna, Sleep No More, Cocktail Kingdom
Anna Wingfield – Mother’s Ruin, Ba’sik
PRIZES: Miss Speed Rack New York, as well as her fellow winners from each city from the tour will receive several prizes, including a $500 honorarium toward travel to the National Finals in New York (June 7, 2015) provided by St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur.
FYI: Speed Rack, Inc. was created by nationally acclaimed bartenders and industry ambassadors, Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix. Additional information can be found on the Speed Rack website www.speed-rack.com, on Facebook http://www.facebook/speedrackinfo and on Twitter @speed_rack.
Check out the antics at last year’s regional heats by visiting: http://www.speed-rack.com/videos and http://bit.ly/1cIrwLH. The 2014 -2015 tour is filmed videos by Le JIT Productions with event execution by Double Barrel Consulting.
