Cold River Vodka Blueberry Mint Martini

Now that you have recovered from your Super Bowl hangover, get those drinking shoes back on and buy your ticket for the 2nd annual Bartenders Bash in Portland, Maine on February 28th. This genius invention of the Freeport based Maine Distilleries challenged top bartenders from the region to create their best mixed drink using Cold River vodkas and gin. The field has been narrowed down to 20 and we the people get to taste them all, crowning the victors at the end of the night.

The Cold River spirits are gluten-free and made direct from Maine’s own water and homegrown potatoes. This new company (launched in 2005) has quite the promotional hit on its hands with the Bartenders Bash, to be held at Ocean Gateway from 5PM – 8:30PM. Tickets are $35 with a portion of the proceeds going to a local nutritional education and food budgeting assistance organization, “Cooking Matters To Maine.”

The sales competition leading up to the final round the last couple of months was so fierce and impressive that the selected field for the event was expanded from 15 to 20. Which only means more doozies of a drink to try out in between helpings of gourmet hors d’oeuvres provided by Aurora Provisions. Here is your final field:

50 Local – Kennebunk
555 – Portland
Azure Café – Freeport
Clementine Restaurant – Brunswick
District Grill – Portland
East Ender – Portland
Eastland Park Hotel – Portland
Fish Bones American Grill – Lewiston
The Frog & Turtle – Westbrook
Grace – Portland
The Great Lost Bear – Portland
Havana South – Portland
Hugo’s – Portland
Gritty McDuff’s – Freeport
Local 188 – Portland
Old Port Sea Grill – Portland
Sonny’s – Portland
Portland Regency – Portland
Vignola – Portland
Walter’s – Portland

Entrants have been selling their specialty drink at their own establishment the last few months. Since it would take a while to visit them all, I recommend attending the Bartenders Bash instead to sample them all in one place and determine who will be hailed the Ultimate Cold River Cocktail. Take your tasting and voting seriously though. The top 3 cocktails receive cash prizes for their hard earned mixing. And you can mix and mingle in between drinks, grooving to the blues of the Ken Grimsley Band. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

Tickets = http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/142950
Portland Ocean Gateway
14 Ocean Gateway Pier
Portland, ME 04032

Photo credited to Maine Distilleries.

Post by Molly G. Find out what Molly is doing when she’s not eating @ The Bumbles Blog.