On Sunday, February 24, the top female mixologists in the Bay Area will compete in the first nationwide women-only cocktail competition—Speed Rack.
The ladies will compete in heats, making rounds of cocktails from a list of 50 industry standards. They’ll be judged on prep time and accuracy by judges Debbie Zachareas (Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant), Jacob Briars (Bacardi) and Charlotte Voisey (William Grant & Sons). The winner of Miss Speed Rack San Francisco will receive a $100 gift certificate to Cocktail Kingdom and $500 towards travel to the National Speed Rack Finals in New York, where the grand prize winner will score an all-inclusive trip for two to France which includes sessions at the Cointreau Bartender Academie.
The contestants:
- Alicia Walton – Elixir, Bloodhound, Momo’s
- Allison Kate Webber – Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen
- Ashley Curren – Rickhouse
- Claire Sprouse – Tradition
- Danielle Marchant – Monarch
- Jen Ackrill – Rye
- Jennifer Colliau – Slanted Door
- Julie Thompson – Rye
- Kate Bolton – Maven
- Keli Rivers – Hotsy Totsy Club
- Kim Gooden – Tradition
- Kim Rosselle – Flora/ Fauna
- Lauren Steele – Hook & Ladder, Lowbrau
- Leilani Vella – Nopa, Lolinda, Absinthe
- Lucia Gonzales – Prizefighter
- Megan Silsbee – Nopa
- Michaela Leah King – Cantina
- Rhachel Shaw – Tradition, Local Edition
- Victoria George – Rickhouse, AQ Restaurant & Bar
- Vita Simone Strauss – Dogwood, The New Easy
The competition is 3pm to 7pm on February 24 at The Chapel in the Mission. Tickets are $20 in advance and will be sold at the door for $25; tickets include drinks and snacks.
Image courtesy of Amanda Hathaway