The Breckenridge Distillery brought eight of the best bartenders in the nation to the snowy Rocky Mountains on Friday, January 11. Celebrating the original bottle service and large format punch making, the winners of eight regional barkeep competitions competed at a Grand Finale competition called Punch Kings “Last Call”.
Bringing you the perfect après after a day on the slopes, the Cochon555 regional barkeep Punch King champions took the stage at 4 p.m. to prepare their winning bourbon punch for 10 notable judges, all crafted using one whole bottle of our award-winning Breck Bourbon.
“It’s always an honor to see how far this country’s bartending scene has come,” says Brady Lowe, Founder of Cochon555. “We’re putting the spotlight on the culture behind this movement as a way of promoting the power of food and drink, as well as responsible ways of making everything from farm products to spirits and wines. We are honored to bring some of the top bartending talent in the country to our host venue, Breckenridge Distillery. Guests can expect a communal experience that’s not just about quality but creating things with purpose and passion. This is eating and drinking for a cause.”
Given 30 minutes to prepare their punches using one whole bottle of Breck Bourbon, barkeeps were judged on Preparation, Creativity, and Taste. New to the competition, we opened up voting to the public with the People’s Choice Award.
2018 PUNCH KINGS // LAST CALL WINNERS
PUNCH KING: Miami // Steven Minor of Habitat – Elements Lounge at 1 Hotel South Beach
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Seattle // Link of MBar
Punch Kings, Last Call winner Steven Minor takes home the Golden Gloves.
8 Competing Barkeeps:
Los Angeles: Othon Nolasco of Here & Now | Minneapolis: Dustin Nguyen of Martina | Chicago: Samuel Garcia of Boleo at the Kimpton Gray Hotel | Seattle: Link of MBar | Banff: Peter Walters of Park Distillery & Restaurant | Austin: Chloe Fisher of Rules & Regs | Miami: Steven Minor of Habitat – Elements Lounge at 1 Hotel South Beach | Denver: Patrick Murphy of Mercantile Dining and Provision
Photos by Louie Traub
