UPDATE: Choptails 2024 has been postponed to Monday, June 17th
A little friendly competition for a good cause! Batson River Brewing & Distilling will be hosting their annual ChopTails cocktail competition Monday, June 17th, 2024 at their Portland location. A portion of the event proceeds to benefit Maine Needs.
Mixing the creativity, intensity, and competitiveness of the hit cooking competition show Chopped and replacing it with booze instead of food, ChopTails will have four of Portland’s best bartenders square off in the ultimate test of mix mastery.
This is a ticketed event with a portion of the event proceeds benefiting Maine Needs in their mission to help local Mainers meet their basic needs. An $85 ticket will get you a welcome cocktail, an up-close and personal view of their all-star cast of cocktail pros in action, and access to passed snacks and charcuterie board. Opt for a VIP table for 8 and enjoy seating, dedicated table service with a bottle of Champagne.
How the Competition Will Work:
This year the competition will be broken down into the following rounds:
Round 1 – Speed
The five contestants will have 15 minutes to create a cocktail of their choosing using a unique basket of ingredients, and then present it to the judges. Judges will then vote and the contestant with the winning recipe will receive a special advantage for Round 2.
Round 2 – Creative
Contestants will be challenged to create a custom, creative cocktail using ingredients they select from The Pantry in addition to the required basket items. There are no rules for these cocktails and creativity is the name of the game. Do our contestants have it what it takes to come up with a perfectly balanced, innovative cocktail in just 20 minutes?
The Winning ChopTail
Broken down into Judge’s Choice, the cocktails in each round will be ranked in 5 categories; timing, presentation, taste, creativity/naming, and ingredient utilization. The contestant that earns the highest score will earn the 2024 Batson River ChopTails Champion trophy, bragging rights, along with a check for $500!
… The people have a say! At the end, attendees will get the opportunity to vote for their favorite cocktails and crown a People’s Choice Winner.
Meet the Contestants:
Jack – Blyth & Burrows
Daniella – Room for Improvement
Zakk – Cocktail Mary
Jacob – Sagamore Hill
Remember to come hungry and ready to cheer on your favorite bartender for this one-of-its-kind event!
