I got bored this week and started entering cocktail competitions. Every entry form that didn’t ask for a place of employment (because I haven’t worked at a bar in a decade), I submitted. The first to invite me is this Wednesday at Osha Thai on the Embarcadero, and will feature my homemade raspberry kombucha.
It’s going to be a snap, because kombucha is the best mixer! It has a distinctly herbaceous tea flavor, plus naturally balanced acidity and additional sweetness. It’s every part of a cocktail except the hard stuff, so all I need to do is add a dash of bitters, shake it with booze and ice, and call it a day. Kombucha is a lot like the base for a traditional punch recipe. I imagine everyone else will be measuring and stirring, grinding and zesting, while I am just pouring.
The only real work is figuring out the math. I am supposed to make 3 gallons of my bright pink concoction, and each 3-ounce drink requires a dash of bitters (3 gallons is 384oz / 3 ounces per drink = 128 dashes at 36 dashes per ounce) so I need to add 3.5 ounces to the pot.
Maybe I will carbonate the vodka or something.
This competition is sponsored by Absolut Vodka, everyone’s favorite spirit, but for those of you with different tastes, I promise to have a nip of Louisville’s finest on hand for you. Just ask me… discretely. Actually, request the “Kentucky Kombucha” and give me a wink.
I would love to see you all there (especially since the crowd votes), and if we haven’t met before, stop by my station and introduce yourself!
Is the “everyone’s favorite spirit” line supposed to link to someone rolling their eyes or laughing hysterically, or was it a requirement for entrance into the competition?