The Mountain Derby beat submissions from 13 other local bartenders and mixologists, who together took part in the Park City Restaurant Association's fall and winter cocktail contest, which was held at The Sidecar.
"It was an exciting competition," said Ginger Ries, executive director of the PCARA. "We had a close contest with a huge crowd, and The Sidecar was the perfect location for our contest.
Dave Wallace took home a $100 cash prize and a trophy, plus a measure of local renown: The Mountain Derby will appear on drink menus at Park City restaurants and bars through the rest of fall and winter. (See story titled "The recipe for the Mountain Derby")
The judges Mary Malouf (food editor, Salt Lake Magazine), Ted Scheffler (food editor, City Weekly), Andy Bernhard, publisher of The Park Record and Kerry Jackson with X96 Radio evaluated each drink based on its presentation, taste and appearance.
The entries varied widely, from the Everything Goes With Bacon presented by Shabu with a bacon garnish, to the Black Manhattan presented by Cena Ristorante, which was also the runner up in the competition as well as the Cinnamon Pear Tarte Ta-tini by defending champion Bonnie Ulmer from Deer Valley Resort.
The Mountain Derby, which blends Woodford Reserve bourbon, fresh grapefruit and lemon juice and lavender/chamomile honey, won with a winning score of 444, out of 500. It received high marks for taste, originality and presentation.
"Once again, the competition was extremely close," Ries said. "It just goes to show that Park City is home to some of the best cocktails, best bartenders, and best bars in the world."
A portion of the ticket sales went toward the People's Health Clinic, a full-service health center for uninsured individuals and families in Utah's Summit and Wasatch counties. To date, PCARA's cocktail contests have raised more than $7,000 for the clinic.
For more information on the Park City Cocktail Contest, Park City's Signature Cocktail and the PCARA, visit www.parkcityrestaurants.com .
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