Black Restaurant Week recently launched the Power of the Palate, its official cocktail competition. This year, in partnership with Maker’s Mark, will be held virtually to find out which city in the nation has the top black craft bartender.
The competition began Monday (August 10) and will end September 28th. Black Restaurant Week has recruited the bartenders from 16 select cities, including Atlanta, Detroit, Miami, New York and Oakland, and is representing bartenders with a variety of backgrounds including African-American, African and Caribbean heritages. Contestants compete in a live virtual bracket-style competition each Monday on Black Restaurant Week’s Facebook Live at 6PM ET.
In each round, the virtual audience and special judges will select their favorite recipe and live cocktail demonstration. During each competition round, bartenders will be challenged to create bourbon cocktails with different ingredients and themes. Bartenders will be judged on drink presentation, understanding flavor profiles, and overall personality. Special guest judges include Chef Max Hardy (COOP Detroit), Cheryl Slocum (James Beard Award-winning Food Writer) and Samara Rivers (Black Bourbon Society), among other notable individuals within the food and spirits industries.
“We are excited to provide a national platform to showcase diversity within the spirits industry,” said Falayn Ferrell, co-founder of Black Restaurant Week. “Our contributions to the spirits industry have not always been highlighted nationally; however, we have proven that our community serves as a consumer audience that appreciates finer cocktails and enjoys creative culinary experiences.”
The Championship Event will be hosted on October 12 and feature the top two bartenders competing live virtually for a panel of culinary and beverage industry leaders. The winner will be presented a grand prize of $5,000 from Black Restaurant Week and title of the top black bartender in the nation.
Viewers are encouraged to join in on the fun to watch their city’s bartender battle for People’s Choice votes during the competition. Additionally, viewers can recreate any of the winning drinks in the competition for a chance to win a custom Whiskey Tasting Party Box from Black Restaurant Week.
