The 2011 Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition will be the 5^th year that we have done this.  Five years since this crazy event got started.  It’s a little surreal thinking back to 2007 when Doug and I had that first meeting to discuss the idea at Broadway Café over an espresso.  At that point, Manifesto didn’t exist, there wasn’t a Kansas City Bartenders Alliance, and relatively no one could put the concept of a local “cocktail culture” into a realistic context.  As renowned author and historian David Wondrich said when he judged the competition in 2009, “Five years ago it would have been hard to find an event like this in New York, let alone Kansas City”.  How things have changed.  Now, this local/regional competition is merely a once a year celebration that sheds some light on a profession and community that are on display every day.  It seems like you can’t open the Food section of the Star or browse user reviews online without reading something about “craft cocktails” or “mixologists”.  Local bars and bartenders have achieved national recognition by our peers in the bigger cities, and it seems that the KC cocktail scene has established itself among some of the best in the country.  Still, there’s something about this event that takes place every August at The Uptown Theater that seems to rise to a whole new level.

                Over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to attend high-profile competitions in places such as Las Vegas and New York.  I’ve been invited to guest judge competitions in other, more regional cities.  This is always a fantastic time, meeting and mingling with like-minded professionals and learning about what interesting new culinary ingredient they’re using or which long-lost vintage cocktail book they’re currently reading.  There’s so much talent out there and so much enthusiasm for what we bartenders do that it’s hard not to get excited about the whole thing.  But I’m always, inevitably, left thinking about just how big the Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition really is.  It’s become so big, in fact, that our small group of organizers is seriously considering re-branding it because it’s really so much more than just a competition.  Maybe something like “The Great Midwestern Cocktail Extravaganza”, or “Kansas City Cocktail Week” would be more appropriate.  It’s a good thing that we started out doing this at The Uptown Theater way back in ’07, because it really was meant for a larger stage from the very beginning. 

                This year, as in the past four, our bartending finalists will compete on stage at The Uptown Theater in front of hundreds of onlookers with cameras flashing all around them, an emcee giving a play-by-play, and judges prodding them with questions, all while having everything they do displayed on a 12ft wide screen so that the audience doesn’t miss a thing.  And about those judges, this year we’re welcoming back the one and only Dale Degroff, aka King Cocktail, to crown the winner.  Dale is world renowned for bringing back “Classic Cocktails” and has become a best-selling author and mentor to bartenders around the world.  The competition in itself is over the top, but that’s only the beginning. 

                Outside the main theater of The Uptown, local restaurants will be serving food, local sponsors such as The Roasterie, Boulevard, SodaVie, or Original Juan’s will be providing samples, and local bands will be performing in the Nowhere Lounge.  An entire separate room is dedicated to 12 bars where the finalist bartenders will be serving their cocktails to guests, when they’re not on stage competing.  Guests not only have the opportunity to sample the cocktails but they can also vote, via text message, for their favorite, and in turn crown a “People’s Choice” winner.  This year, a local burlesque group will add to the festivities giving it an all around Circus-like atmosphere. 

                One of the most important developments of the competition is not just what happens that night at The Uptown, but what has begun to happen at local bars and restaurants the days and week leading up to that Sunday evening.  Last year, places like Grunauer, R Bar, Blanc Burgers, Manifesto, and Makers Mark Bourbon Lounge all hosted cocktail parties or events to promote the GKCBC.  This year we expect even more of that, as it has really generated excitement among the community and added to local restaurants’ and bars opportunities to drive business. 

                The Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition started out as an experiment.  It was intended to seek out local bartenders that took pride in their craft and approached their role as a professional.  It was meant to promote and celebrate those talents.  It has certainly succeeded in doing those things, but in the process has become so much more.  It helped identify those talented, passionate individuals here in KC, and now those talented individuals are helping to make this event as big, or bigger than any of its kind, from San Francisco to New Orleans, and Chicago to New York.  It’s become an event for the public; a rowdy, bizarre mix of food, drinks, music, and local rock star bartenders getting a moment in the spotlight next to geeky mixologists unveiling their latest creation.  I can hardly wait to see what happens this year, and where it goes from here.

Tomorrow night, Wednesday, I’ll be working the Bourbon and Stogies dinner at Makers Mark Bourbon House and Lounge in The Power & Light District, Kansas City.  This 4 course dinner will be paired with 3 craft cocktails and 3 cigars.   I’ll be showcasing the Hudson Baby Bourbon in the reception cocktail for this event. 

Hudson Whiskies are relatively new to the Kansas City area, but have been taking off nationwide due to heralded critical acclaim, support from bartenders, and consumer excitement for one of the most original products to come out of New York in a very long time.  The micro-distillery in upstate New York is considered a new pioneer in the industry, producing the first whiskey in the state since prohibition, and the first ever Bourbon. 

The Baby Bourbon is pot-distilled from 100% corn and is aged in small American Oak casks.  The flavor can be described as mildly sweet and smooth, with hints of vanilla and caramel.  This bright, approachable, and fun Bourbon I felt was the perfect way to start off the evening.  Guests of the event are welcome to taste the spirit neat, but I will be preparing a classic Americana Cocktail using the Hudson Baby Bourbon. 

The Americana is a lively and refreshing combination of Bourbon and Champagne, garnished with a fresh peach slice.  I’ll also add a sugar cube and a dash or two of Fee Bros. Peach Bitters.   The drink is served chilled in a champagne flute.  And in the interest of full disclosure, we won’t be using true Champagne, but the Gloria Ferrar Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine from California.  I can’t think of a better way to kick off a Bourbon paired cocktail dinner that will end with cigars on the patio! 

For the bartenders out there, remember that the Hudson Whiskies will be sponsoring this year’s Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition.  The Hudson Baby Bourbon is approachable on its own, but is wonderfully diverse and dynamic enough to make a base for a great cocktail. 

To make a reservation for this unique and exciting event, contact Makers Mark Bourbon House & Lounge at 816.442.8115 or by visiting their website at http://www.makersmarkrestaurant.com/.

Cheers!

Ryan

SodaVie, an artisan, whole foods based soda producer located in Kansas City, Mo. is officially a sponsor of the Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition.  Their unique approach has produced some of the most unique and delicious soda flavors we’ve come across – Thai Basil/Chile, Celery Seed, Pineapple/Cilantro, and Air Roasted Coffee to name just a few! 

You can find them at Blanc Burgers + Bottles, The Better Cheddar, and Dean & Deluca in addition to a number of other quality retailers and bars in the Kansas City area.  Be sure to check out their sample booth at the Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition on Sunday, August 29th to learn more about their products and sample  their delicious flavors!  Also check them out online at http://www.getrealfoodcompany.com/

Cheers!

             There’s an old cautionary saying that goes something like this:  “Never talk about religion or politics at the bar.”  While that may be good advice regarding religion, politics has had a long and storied love affair with the culture of drinking in America.  The cocktail, as well as the drinking establishment as we know it, is entirely an American invention that’s nearly 200 years old.    Through the course of American history, beverage alcohol has at times been influenced by politics, and at other times it has helped shape our political landscape. 

            The first good example of this is the Molasses Act of 1733, which historians consider to be a key ingredient in leading to the Revolutionary War and our freedom from Great Britain.  Back then, rum was the most popular alcoholic drink in America and a huge part of colonial America’s industry.  Distillers in New England purchased cheap molasses from the West Indies, free of excise tax, and then produced enormous amounts of rum which quickly became the drink of choice among the masses due to its affordability.  New England distilleries made a lot of money off of their cheap rum, which angered the British Parliament leading to heavy import taxes on molasses coming to America from any of the foreign-controlled islands.  

            30 years later, the British Parliament flexed its muscles again by imposing an import tax on Madeira, which had become the favored drink of the upper class.  John Hancock was one wealthy Boston merchant who was greatly affected by this tax since he imported up to 150,000 gallons of Madeira at a time, on his ship the Liberty.  By this time, Boston harbor was filled with British Warships and customs officers to enforce the taxes.  Once these aggressive moves by England affected not only the working class, but also the upper class, the Revolution was inevitable. 

              After the Revolutionary War ended, of course our forefathers had to celebrate by knocking back a few rounds in the neighborhood bar.  The first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson in the Indian Queen Tavern in Philadelphia while he sipped a glass of Madeira.  Our first president, George Washington, was inaugurated in 1789 at Fraunces Tavern in New York City, also toasted with Madeira.

                Once we had our freedom and our great democracy in place, the culture of imbibing bled into the electoral process.  People began to identify others by what they drank.  During the Presidential Campaign of 1840, incumbent Democrat Martin Van Buren began a smear campaign against his opponent, William Henry Harrison.  Van Buren’s campaign painted Harrison as “simple” and “country” because he drank “hard cider and grew up in a log cabin”.  The tactics backfired, as Harrison adopted the tag and portrayed himself as a hard working man of the people, while Van Buren was “aristocratic” and “gluttonous” who only drank fine French wine.  Harrison held public rallies where free hard cider was distributed throughout the crowd, bringing in enormous amounts of supporters, and sending huge numbers of voters to the polls.  Harrison won the election.

                One of the most important political occurrences of the past century is the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.  Ironically, this Amendment may have been greatly delayed if it weren’t for the horribly flawed 18^th Amendment, better known as Prohibition.  In 1919, Prohibition made all sales and consumption of alcohol illegal, but the public began to drink more than ever before.  Prior to Prohibition, saloons, bars, and taverns kept women out.  They were gentleman only clubs where judges, attorneys, and politicians of all parties sat together and drank the cocktail of the moment.  Undoubtedly, the day’s business didn’t end at 5 o’clock, but continued that evening over an old-fashioned or a gin martini.  But illegal speakeasies couldn’t afford to exclude anyone, for fear of being ratted out to authorities.  So, for the first time, with a drink in their hand, women rubbed elbows with the male policy-makers.  The Women’s Suffrage movement gained momentum, and within one year, the 19^th Amendment was passed giving women the right to vote.   This turn of events was the only positive to come from Prohibition, bringing everyone closer together at the bars and at the voting stations.

                Now I’m not saying that we should all go to our favorite bar, down a few shots of tequila and start expressing loudly our views on who should be the next President, or Governor, or whether or not we should have light rail in Kansas City.  There is some wisdom in that old saying; politics stirs up a lot of passion and emotion in people, and introducing alcohol to the mix will lead to a free flowing torrent of thoughts and opinions that could probably be better articulated when sober.  But at the very least, next time you’re at a bar with friends who share your political views or with those whom you disagree with, raise a glass to the fact that we can respect each other’s opinions, and we can all enjoy a good drink together. If not for that idea of unity we certainly wouldn’t have many of the freedoms we have today.

                For my part, I’m contributing an original recipe loosely based on the classic Ward Eight cocktail.  The Ward Eight allegedly was created in Boston in the early 20^th century for the victory supper (held the night prior to the election) for Martin Lomasney, who was running for office from Boston’s Ward Eight.   Enjoy!

Ward & Precinct

2 oz. Knob Creek Bourbon

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

½ oz. home-made grenadine

2 orange slices

1 barspoon sugar

Angostura bitters

Place orange slices in bottom of mixing glass and top with sugar.  Using an atomizing mister, spray Angostura bitters into glass, evenly coating fruit and inside of the glass.  Ignite bitters, continuing to spray and bruleeing fruit and caramelizing the sugar.  Lightly muddle oranges.  Add Bourbon, lemon juice, grenadine, and ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into chilled coupe or martini glass.  Garnish with orange zest.