Each year, we ask a selection of Utah’s best bartenders to use local spirits and local ingredients and hit us with their best shot (or shots). So last Sept. 12, bartenders bravely gathered on a Sunday morning after the Saturday night late shift to swizzle up some hair of the dog and present their entries into the 2021 Salt Lake magazine Cocktail Contest. They didn’t disappoint. Through Nov. 30, we invite you to drop in to their bars and try their creations (or mix them up yourself at home). Pick your favorites and click the image below to cast your vote.
What’s your favorite after-shift drink? My current favorite—Pasubio Vino Amaro.
What is the “star ingredient” of your CC entry? A whole lotta Angostura.
What’s your favorite drink To make? Penicillin/Amoxicillin, always a crowd-pleaser.
What’s a drink that makes you cringe? A cement mixer.
Best hangover cure? Ramen.
Why do you love bar work? The community and creative inspiration it gives me.
What is a cocktail/spirit you used to hate but now you love? Why? Tequila! I associated tequila with reckless abandon due to my first years as a drinker and swore it off. Once I came back around, I grew to appreciate and love agave spirits for the pure desert expression and rounded profiles, standing well on its own while also making a perfect fit with any citrus.
Sex Dreams
⅞ oz fresh lemon juice
¾ oz unsweetened mango purée
¾ oz Bar Daddy Orgeat
¾ oz over-proof aged rum, ideally Beachbum Berry Hamilton Zombie Blend or Plantation OFTD
¾ oz Sugar House Distillery Rye
Whip on crushed ice, dump into your favorite mug. Float ½ oz Angostura Bitters (Pop that top and pour it out!) Garnish with banana leaves and edible orchid.
