Defending champion Thomas Morris of Wheat Penny Oven & Bar and reigning People’s Choice winner Bill Castro of El Meson returned to defend their titles against a field representing some of the area’s top bars and restaurants.
A warm, steamy haze from marinated steak kabobs formed a marine layer above attendees as they sipped and sampled signature Buckeye Vodka cocktails and food pairings from thirteen booths. Spritzes and martinis and Tini Bikinis abounded. People balanced plates, drinks and menus as they drank and ate their way around the venue.
Participating restaurants this year included Amber Rose, The Florentine, Mr. Boro’s Tavern, The Melting Pot, Dublin Pub, Manna Uptown, Rip Rap Roadhouse, Treasure Island Supper Club, Smith’s Boathouse and newcomer competitor Meridien Uptown.
Attendees received a Buckeye Vodka flight card upon check-in, a punch card for five cocktails and food pairings, and one voting chip for People’s Choice. VIP access doubled the cocktails.
A team of esteemed, one-named judges — Dustin, Michael, two Davids (one a probate judge), Lisa, Alexis and Gina & Steve — chose the winners. But so did the people. Hordes of hungry, thirsty attendees filed down the aisles, taste-testing along the way.
The competition felt like a bartender’s silent auction, a dimly lit convention for alcohol. It was far from Tom Cruise’s “Cocktail,” but not totally unlike it either. Bartenders still had flair from behind their booths — not on bar tops or in a ring, as this writer anticipated — double-fisting shakers and multi-pouring when aesthetically and pragmatically necessary.
Because I don’t drink anymore, my two VIP flight cards remained unpunched for the evening. “I’ll get some cocktails in me and talk to you about them,” one gracious attendee told me, as I gave him one of the cards. And so he did, nearly a dozen times. The Valentino, a Cuban nacho bloody mary from El Meson, was his repeat order of the night.
He reported a lineup that ran sweet to savory, refreshing to boozy.
Attendees cast their ballots, giving the crowd a direct say in the outcome.
By 9:07 p.m., some tables emptied, though plenty lingered for the results.
For the judges, Wheat Penny Oven & Bar took Best Pairing with its chicken shawarma and Ready Freddie cocktail. Manna Uptown was runner-up.
This year’s Best Cocktail winner was El Meson, keeping the fusion restaurant in the yearly rankings. Its bloody mary drew steady praise throughout the event.
In the People’s Choice, Amber Rose won the people’s hearts with the Rose Spritz and antipasto skewers. Wheat Penny was runner-up.
As the spotlight for local mixologists came to a close, the Battle of the Bartenders would retire for another year.
The DJ tore down and the lights went up. Everyone stopped raising their glasses after the three-hour tasting. Cookie crumbs and citrus peels made their way into the trash. The LED balloons would be reused.
We didn’t have to go home but we couldn’t stay there.
Brandon Berry covers the music and arts scene in Dayton and Southwest Ohio. Reach him at branberry100@gmail.com.
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