STARKVILLE – The spirits are set, and the competition is on.
Bartenders from 13 Starkville restaurants will go head-to-head next week to craft the top cocktail for the city’s inaugural Battle of the Bartenders, Starkville Main Street’s newest event and fundraiser.
“We’ve seen some similar events from across the state, and so we wanted to try it and put our own spin on it,” Paige Watson, director for Starkville Main Street, told The Dispatch on Thursday.
Each bartender is tasked with developing a top-tier cocktail recipe using a randomly assigned liquor as the primary ingredient. The competitors gathered Tuesday to draw their spirit, with the selections ranging from tequila and dark rum to violet gin and rye whiskey, among others.
“I’ve seen one recipe that’s come in, and it was the first one that I’ve got my hands on so far,” Watson said. “We’re keeping everything confidential, but the recipe they sent sounds amazing.”
The carefully-crafted cocktails will be served during the event, set for 6-8 p.m. Friday under the lights on Lafayette Street. Those attending the event will sample each drink and cast their vote for the top cocktail while also enjoying small bites and live music performed by Jeffrey Rupp and Bill Cooke.
Along with bragging rights, bartenders and their restaurants will compete for three awards, including the People’s Choice Award, one from a panel of judges and one voted on by other competitors.
Will Sanders, general manager for Restaurant Tyler and The Guest Room, said he expects the competition to be fierce.
“Everybody’s going to put a lot of effort into their drink,” he said. “… There’s 13 restaurants (competing). I know the majority of everybody that’s in there. Everybody’s going to be coming to win for sure.”
Sanders pitched the idea for the competition to Starkville Main Street after learning about a similar event held annually in Oxford, where a former employee from The Guest Room competed and won.
He expects the event to go over just as well in Starkville.
“Now that it’s kind of getting out there, I have a lot of people that have mentioned that they’re pretty excited about it,” Sanders said. “I think it’s going to be a good time.”
Additionally, any funds raised at the event go to a good cause, Sanders said.
“The proceeds are going to go to (Main Street Starkville), which does a lot of community events around town,” he said. “So it’d be good to stack their deck with some extra money they weren’t expecting.”
Tickets for the adults-only event are currently $50 when purchased through the featured events page at starkville.org. Only 250 tickets will be sold for the inaugural event, Watson said.
“We’re starting small,” she said. “We hope this becomes an annual tradition, but if you want (to come), you need to go ahead and get them fast. … If we have any left, we’ll sell them at the door or at the check-in table that night for $75.”
Restaurants with bartenders participating in the competition include Arepas Coffee and Bar, Bin 612, The Grill, Restaurant Tyler, The Guest Room, Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern, Rosey Baby, The Older Brother, Walk-On’s Bistreaux, Taste, Starkville Country Club, L’uva Wine Room and Harveys.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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