Michael Collins Irish Whiskey DENVER Kick Off Party

Join Michael Collins Irish Whiskey at Japoix Restaurant and Lounge at 975 Lincoln Street on Monday, April 18th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm.

Why: Booze. Bartenders. Cool stuff. You know the drill. They're unveiling their 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. And if you're like us, you love whiskey. Especially of the Irish kind.

What: We'll gather together while Sean Kenyon, Mike Henderson and Todd Richman from NYC make us some spectacular drinks with the help of Japoix's great team of bartenders. There will be some Irish eats as well.

Cost: It's free silly. Just RSVP to RSVPDenver@michaelcollinswhiskey.com

BONUS! Michael Collins needs TWO more bartenders to shoot a little video for use on the interwebs that evening. If you're interested in concocting a drink (your Michael Collins concoction BTW) and slinging it on camera for promotional purposes, please respond to coloradobartendersguild@gmail.com. We'll get in touch with you on the rest of the details.

See ya at the party -
Your COBG

USBG and Don Q Rum Ultimate MixOff Challenge!

Contests, contests, contests...phew! Are you exhausted yet? Hope not, cause this one's sweet...

Everyone...The USBG and Don Q Rum are having their annual MixOff for a trip to NYC for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic. It's easy, make up a recipe, submit it to coloradobartendersguild@gmail.com by April 15th (TAX DAY...DUN DUN DUN) and wait to hear back from us. We figured that with all the crazyness going on with BarSmarts and such that a mail-in contest seemed appropriate (for us anyway). Here's them rules...

Competition Drink Category Descriptions:

 1.       Fancy Spirited Cocktail with a Signature Ingredient: Competitor will utilize the DonQ family of rums, limited ingredients and a “signature” or “housemade” ingredient that is made by the mixologist, whether it be bitters, an infusion, foam, etc. Primarily judged on creativity, technique, seasonality and visual. There will be a secondary judging on best “signature” ingredient as it stands alone.

2.       Fruit Forward Long Drink with a Garnish Focus: Use of seasonal ingredients and pairing of such in a rum drink utilizing the DonQ family of rums. Primarily judged on technique, creativity, flavor. There will be a secondary judging on the garnish and its look and creativity as it stands alone.

So send us your best shot(s) — two seperate recipes please — to us by the 15th. TWO — yes TWO — COBG competitors will head to the Manhattan Cocktail Classic the week of May 14th to compete in the final round - courtesy of Don Q.

Our font changed...weird.

-COBG

 

2011 USBG Pina Coloada Competition

COBG Members -

Wanna trip to Tales of the Cocktail? Sure you do. We ALL do.

The USBG, Tales of the Cocktail and Bacardi are inviting our chapter to participate in the USBG Bacardi Rum Piña Colada Competition at Tales of the Cocktail 2011.
 
Finals for the competition will take place on Friday, July 22, 2011 from 7:30PM to 10:00PM in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the week of Tales of the Cocktail, meaning, of course, that if your recipe is picked to compete, you get yourself a free trip to Tales. Pretty sweet huh?

The contest is only open to PAID members of the COBG, and is just one of many elements we're trying to incorporate as incentive to being an ACTIVE member of the guild.

Entry deadline is Friday, April 8th and should be submitted to www.talesofthecocktail.com. AND PLEASE...attached is all the entry rules and they are as complicated as a Friday night shift is long.

2011_USBG_Piña_Colada_Competition_presented_by_Bacardi_Rum_(2)_Copy.pdf Download this file

Take your time and read through them. We wouldn't want your winning recipe tossed out on a technicality.

Thanks everyone. Have fun, and good luck!
- COBG

St. Germain and Boca Loca Barroom Brawl

See the full gallery on Posterous

St. Germain and Boca Loca have teamed up for what should be a fantastic event at Green Russell — yes, down the rabbit hole and through the pie shop at 1422 Larimer St. It's a three-round competition for a trip to Tales of the Cocktail! Nuff said, right? Wrong.

It's a Prom Theme...so you have to dress up. Prom King and Queen will be awarded, there will be $7.00 cocktails all night long and a selection of beer for those of you who enjoy that sort of thing. Hors d'oeuvres will be from 7:30-9:30...so get there early if you don't eat dinner.

Finally...the competition consists of three rounds:
ROUND ONE - the normal cocktail competition where you're making your drink for a panel of judges to include Jeffrey Morgenthaler (our bloggy hero), Phillip Pepperdine from St. Germain in NYC and our very own, Anika Zappe.
ROUND TWO - It's improv yall. On-The-Fly style.
ROUND THREE - Get yourself a punch recipe. Finalists will be putting their best "punch" forward.

All recipes must include St. Germain and Boca Loca and must be submitted by March 13th at 11:59pm. All recipes must be submitted to both lgeiger@stgermain.fr and Rhonda@drinkbocaloca.com

Ready...set....Go!
-COBG

A Jim Beam Event You Won't Want To Miss!

We have an amazing COBG event to announce on Sunday, March 13th, 2011...conveniently just after the end of Restaurant Half Month!

Check It: Beam Global and the Colorado Bartenders' Guild will be hosting an event at Lou's Food | Bar on Sunday, March 13, from 3 - 5:30 pm. The event is a launch party for Knobb Creek Single Barrel as well as a few other products Beam Global will be releasing this year. FYI...The Single Barrel, like the original, will be 9-years-old, but will be bottled at a significantly higher proof, 120° (60% alcohol) vs the original Knob Creek at 100 proof (50% alcohol). Bobby Gleason (aka Bobby G!), Jim Beam's National Ambassador and Mixologist will be flying in for the event to present the new products. Those of you who attend will also be able to sample and experiment with these new products.

"But," you might be saying to yourself, "why would I want to miss that week's episode of Undercover Boss just to go drink bourbon?"

First of all, Undercover Boss doesn't come on until 8. Second of all, at the end of the event Jim Beam is giving away TWO TICKETS TO KENTUCKY to tour some of America's best whiskey distilleries. See why we're so excited?!

DEETS:

• WHAT — COBG & Jim Beam 'Knobb Creek Single Barrel Release Party'
• WHEN — Sunday, March 13th 3-5:30pm
• WHERE — Lou's Food | Bar - 1851 West 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80211
• WHO — You and Your Bartending Friends

Please RSVP to coloradobartendersguild@gmail.com if you plan on attending this most-excellent event and we'll see you at Lou's.

The past three weeks in pictures...

So, we've been busy. WAY too busy. You'd think writing a little blog and posting some pictures would be easy. But it's not. Well, not when you're bartendering, mixoogoling and sitting at everyone else's bars on your days off. Your COBG has been all over our city, and instead of boring you with the details, we thought some pictures might sum it up real well(ish).

42Below Cocktail World Cup Regionals @ The Bluebird Theater

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Tanqueray 10 Gin Seminar with Aka Wine Geek @ TAG Restaurant

COBG Bowling Mixer @ Elitch Lanes

Colorado Cocktail Project Showcase @ MCA Denver

See and download the full gallery on posterous

A Jim Beam Event You Won't Want To Miss!

We have an amazing COBG event to announce on Sunday, March 13th, 2011...conveniently just after the end of Restaurant Half Month!

Check It: Beam Global and the Colorado Bartenders' Guild will be hosting an event at Lou's Food | Bar on Sunday, March 13, from 3 - 5:30 pm. The event is a launch party for Knobb Creek Single Barrel as well as a few other products Beam Global will be releasing this year. FYI...The Single Barrel, like the original, will be 9-years-old, but will be bottled at a significantly higher proof, 120° (60% alcohol) vs the original Knob Creek at 100 proof (50% alcohol). Bobby Gleason (aka Bobby G!), Jim Beam's National Ambassador and Mixologist will be flying in for the event to present the new products. Those of you who attend will also be able to sample and experiment with these new products.

"But," you might be saying to yourself, "why would I want to miss that week's episode of Undercover Boss just to go drink bourbon?"

First of all, Undercover Boss doesn't come on until 8. Second of all, at the end of the event Jim Beam is giving away TWO TICKETS TO KENTUCKY to tour some of America's best whiskey distilleries. See why we're so excited?!

DEETS:

• WHAT — COBG & Jim Beam 'Knobb Creek Single Barrel Release Party'
• WHEN — Sunday, March 13th 3-5:30pm
• WHERE — Lou's Food | Bar - 1851 West 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80211
• WHO — You and Your Bartending Friends

Please RSVP to coloradobartendersguild@gmail.com if you plan on attending this most-excellent event and we'll see you at Lou's.

A Jim Beam Event You Won't Want To Miss!

We have an amazing COBG event to announce on Sunday, March 13th, 2011...conveniently just after the end of Restaurant Half Month!

Check It: Beam Global and the Colorado Bartenders' Guild will be hosting an event at Lou's Food | Bar on Sunday, March 13, from 3 - 5:30 pm. The event is a launch party for Knobb Creek Single Barrel as well as a few other products Beam Global will be releasing this year. FYI...The Single Barrel, like the original, will be 9-years-old, but will be bottled at a significantly higher proof, 120° (60% alcohol) vs the original Knob Creek at 100 proof (50% alcohol). Bobby Gleason (aka Bobby G!), Jim Beam's National Ambassador and Mixologist will be flying in for the event to present the new products. Those of you who attend will also be able to sample and experiment with these new products.

"But," you might be saying to yourself, "why would I want to miss that week's episode of Undercover Boss just to go drink bourbon?"

First of all, Undercover Boss doesn't come on until 8. Second of all, at the end of the event Jim Beam is giving away TWO TICKETS TO KENTUCKY to tour some of America's best whiskey distilleries. See why we're so excited?!

DEETS:

• WHAT — COBG & Jim Beam 'Knobb Creek Single Barrel Release Party'
• WHEN — Sunday, March 13th 3-5:30pm
• WHERE — Lou's Food | Bar - 1851 West 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80211
• WHO — You and Your Bartending Friends

Please RSVP to coloradobartendersguild@gmail.com if you plan on attending this most-excellent event and we'll see you at Lou's.