Voting for the 2023 Tripleseat Sip-Sational Cocktail Contest Semi-Finalists
We are getting into the summer-sipping cocktail spirit with the second edition of Tripleseat’s Sip-Sational Cocktail Contest. We asked restaurants, bars, and any hospitality business that enjoys creating craft cocktails to submit their best summer cocktail recipe. Those submissions then went through an internal voting process with Tripleseat’s knowledgeable cocktail enthusiasts. Now, the future of the 12 semi-finalists lies in the hands of the public.
Vote for your favorite summer cocktail and encourage others to do the same one time per day until Thursday, March 23 at 11:59 pm PST. The final five finalists will receive one ticket to Tripleseat’s EventCamp where their cocktails will take place in a final “Sip-Off” to determine one grand winner.
Now to introduce the 12 semi-finalists:
1. A Rose by Any Other Name
Created by: Jimmy Hibbard and Emily DeKanter
Company name: Gage Hospitality Group (The Dawson)
Location: Chicago
Recipe:
1 oz grapefruit zest Infused – Casa Noble Blanco Tequila**
1 oz Aperol
1 oz Dolin Blanc vermouth
1.5 oz Topo Chico soda water
2 oz dry sparking rosé (Preferably Italian or French)
**Zest 1 grapefruit using a vegetable peeler and set on 1 L of tequila for 24 Hours
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a wine glass.
Fill with ice.
Stir to chill.
Garnish with dehydrated grapefruit, edible flowers, and festive straw.
Spritz with rose water.
About the cocktail:
“This cocktail was originally created as a riff on a tequila negroni, also known as a Rosita, as a transitionary cocktail between our winter and spring menus at The Dawson. While delicious in its original construction, we began to notice a need for a spritz on the menu. We began playing around with a few different ideas, but nothing stuck.
“However, when a guest sent back the original cocktail saying they loved the flavor but wanted something ‘not as boozy.’ We pivoted, and the Rose by Any Other Name was created. It ended up being the most popular selling cocktail during our 2021 patio season and the favorite from our Pride menu, which benefited a non-profit organization supporting Chicago’s LGBTQ+ youth.
“Perfect for brunch through happy hour and into the evening, this refreshing cocktail has just a bit more kick than an Aperol Spritz while serving the exact same function. A Rose by Any Other Name is not only a reference to the famous Shakespeare quote but also to the cocktail’s origin story. In taking a boozy and bitter creation and turning it on its head as the refreshing pink patio crusher, we kept the integrity of our original creation while creating something incredibly approachable. Cheers!”
2. Ho’omaluhia Mai Tai
Created by: Rylen Komeiji
Submitted by: Rebecca Gullixson
Company: Caviar Bar
Location: Las Vegas
Recipe:
Stonefruit-infused Bacardi 10-year Rum
Cachaca
Pistachio and almond orgeat
Fresh lime juice
Spiced coconut water
Ohia Lehua blossom honey
Tiki and burlesque bitters
Salted coconut foam
About the cocktail:
“The name Ho’omaluhia translates to make peace and tranquility. I created the cocktail for the World’s Best Mai Tai Competition back in 2019. It was a time of turmoil in Hawaii as there was a big controversy over the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope. I used the differences between the two sides: the builders and scientists versus the Native Hawaiians who were concerned with the desecration of the mountain and their land. I wanted my cocktail to showcase numerous flavors from different places that come together to create a harmonious blend of flavors,” Komeiji said.
3. Devil in a Red Dress
Created by: Carl Brown
Company: Kaiyo Rooftop
Location: San Francisco
Recipe:
1.5 oz strawberry infused pisco
1 oz lemon sherbert
.5 oz pineapple juice
3 dashes orange bitters
Served over a big cube with a togarashi rim
About the Cocktail:
“I just wanted to create a fun, refreshing cocktail for spring and summer!” Brown said.
4. Cocoloma
Created by: Whitney Roushey
Company: The Factory in Deep Ellum
Location: Deep Ellum, Texas
Recipe:
2 oz 1800 Coconut Tequila
1/2 oz real cream of coconut
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice topped with 1.5 oz Q Drinks Sparkling Grapefruit Juice.
Rim Collins glass with tajin. Shake and strain into glass, add ice, top with sparkling grapefruit juice, and use a thin grapefruit slice to garnish.
About the cocktail:
“I like to describe this cocktail as if a pina colada and paloma had a baby. I created this cocktail for Ebb & Flow,” Roushey said.
5. The Madison Fizz
Created by: Sara Markham
Company: Early Mountain Vineyards
Location: Madison, Va.
Recipe:
2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
1.5 oz pomegranate juice
.5 oz lemon juice
.75 oz housemade rosemary simple syrup
1 egg white
About the cocktail:
“Looking to produce a higher elevation cocktail for our events program, I turned to some bold flavors to compliment the excitement of a wedding day! The name is derived from our location, Madison County, Virginia, but also named in honor of our canine Director of Mental Health for team members — Madison,” Markham said.
6. Garden of Eden
Created by: Danilo Costa
Submitted by: Katie Alden
Company: Somewhere Nowhere
Location: New York City
Recipe:
2 oz Hendricks Gin
½ oz Cointreau
Splash fresh lemon juice
½ peach nectar
½ passion fruit juice
Garnish: Black cherry/peach wedge
Glassware: Old-fashioned glass
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice cubes, strain the drink into an old-fashioned glass over ice cubes.
About the cocktail:
“I came across this recipe after searching for some cocktails that could potentially use passion fruit as the main flavor. My idea was to incorporate the passion fruit flavor, as it is one of my favorite fruits in Brazil. In Brazil, we have a popular drink called Caipijá (made with Caipirinha and Maracuja (passion fruit in Brazilian Portuguese), which uses the spirit cachaça (Brazilian rum), giving a Brazilian touch in this crafted cocktail.
“I used Hendricks gin as a request per our partner brand, so I had to find the right ingredients to make this cocktail simple but at the same time well-balanced between the gin’s particular flavor, the acid, citrus, and sour from passion fruit. The name was suggested by our team. I believed that this drink would be one of our best sellers in the summer and that I couldn’t have made it any better!” Costa said.
7. Airplane Mode
Created by: Irving Gonzalez
Submitted by: Carly Stein
Company: Snake Oil Cocktail Company
Location: San Diego
Recipe:
Ingredients:
2 oz Plantation pineapple rum
1 oz Sol Tarasco extra aged charanda hongos
1 oz gardenia mix
1 oz banana infused vanilla syrup
.75 oz lemon juice
.5 oz tangerine juice.
Add all the ingredients into a shaken tin with ice.
Shake for 10 seconds.
Strain over a Hurricane glass and top it off with pebble ice.
Garnish with an edible orchid and a banana leaf.
About the Cocktail:
“POV: The pilot announced the plane is ready for take-off, you close your laptop after setting your out-of-office email and let out a big exhale. We all know that feeling — the euphoric bliss that gets your heart fluttering — the moment we all are waiting for at least once a year: vacation time!
“Finally, you’re ready to sit back and turn on airplane mode. Shortly after dozing off, you land and step out of the plane. You can feel the stress of the emails slipping away as you head to the beach resort to set up under a cabana umbrella. Whirling with excitement and relaxation, you look down and realize your phone is still on airplane mode. You smile at the thought of keeping your phone on airplane mode the rest of the trip to enjoy the holiday and not be distracted by work. So that’s what you do. Ready to savor every moment, you toss your silly little phone in your beach bag, and run into the crystal blue waters in front of your cabana.
“From the cabana-style garnishes to every flavor and aroma, this tropical cocktail will give you that airplane mode vacation we all need to get us ready for the warm season,” Gonzalez said.
8. Bitter Smoke
Created by: Jason McKinney
Company: The Brink Lounge
Location: Madison, Wis.
Recipe:
1.5 oz Xicaru mezcal
0.25 oz Campari
1 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz agave nectar
Half a blood orange, quartered
Flamed lime peel, to garnish
Begin by salting the rim of a martini glass. Put the agave nectar and half an orange in a shaker tin and muddle. Then add the remaining ingredients into the shaker and fill with ice. Shake for 15 seconds. Double strain into the martini glass. Garnish with flamed lime peel.
About the cocktail:
“Created this cocktail for our summer 2021 specialty cocktails. Was a massive hit!” McKinney said.
9. LaCentre’s Refreshing Hibiscus Tea Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic)
Created by: Chef Ibrahim Alsharif and Anne Rusnak
Company: LaCentre Conference and Banquet Facility
Location: Westlake, Ohio
Recipe (serves ~ 25 guests):
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers, steeped and drained
12 fresh lemons — reamed and juiced
4 cups sugar (can substitute honey or non-sugar sweeteners)
24 cups of water
Fresh mint (optional), lemon wedge garnish
Steep hibiscus, drain.
Add zest of 2 lemons and juice of 12 lemons.
Add sugar (or preferred sweetener).
Add water and stir until sweetener is dissolved.
Add fresh mint leaves if desired.
Refrigerate overnight and/or serve over ice.
Garnish with lemon wedge and a sprig of mint.
About the cocktail:
”We cater to a wide variety of clientele, many of whom prefer non-alcoholic beverages. We have recently re-opened (post COVID-19) and are delighted to share this awesome mocktail!”
Additionally, here are some of the health benefits of hibiscus tea lemonade:
• Protects with antioxidants. The hibiscus plant is rich in antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, and anthocyanin
• Fights inflammation
• Lowers blood pressure
• Lowers cholesterol
• Promotes weight loss
• Fights bacteria
• Supports liver health
10. Blackberry Margarita
Created by: Cristen Gros
Company: B&B Beverage Management’s Happy Cocktail Company
Location: Auburn, Ala.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
4 limes
Jalapeno simple syrup
Fresh blackberries
Chili lime salt
Jalapeno slices
Blanco tequila
Bar tools needed:
Knife and cutting board
Strainer
Shaker tin
Jigger
Juicer
Rimmer
Prep:
Jalapeno simple syrup:
Yields 2.5 quarts. Takes 24 hours.
Ingredients:
1 qt jalapeno infused water
2 qt sugar
5 fresh jalapeno
Directions:
Cut 5 jalapenos into ~1/4 in slices and place into a quart container.
Fill a quart container with water and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Dump contents into a pot and bring to a boil.
Add 2 qt of sugar and return to boil until the sugar has melted down.
Remove from heat.
Strain out jalapeno slices.
Slice 1 lime into wheels.
Cut 3 limes in half and juice into a small container.
Pour Jalapeno Syrup onto Small Plate
Pour Chili Lime Salt onto Small Plate or Rimmer
Dip the glass into rimming syrup and then chili lime salt
Blackberry Margarita
Build in shaker tin
1.25 oz blanco gequila
Add 6-7 blackberries and muddle
1 oz jalapeno syrup
2 oz lime juice
Add ice and shake
Strain all contents in chili lime rimmed rocks glass with fresh ice
Garnish with lime wheel
About the cocktail:
“In 2020, when the event industry came to a complete halt, our company had nine days to do a complete 360 with our services and had to figure out how to bring the hospitality industry into people’s homes. With this need, we developed the Happy Cocktail Company brand, where we send deconstructed cocktail boxes across the country for clients to learn how to be their own favorite bartender at home. Each Happy Cocktail Box included the ingredients to make four, eight, or 12 cocktails, a recipe card on how to use the ingredients, and fun cocktail accessories like ice molds, glassware, and tools. This cocktail helped launch this brand and kept us afloat throughout COVID,” Gros said.
11. Raspberry Limoncello Spritzer
Created by: Loraine Gould
Company: Willow Point Golf and Country Club
Location: Alexander City, Ala.
Recipe:
Start with a large wine glass with ice.
Add 4 oz of prosecco.
1 oz of lemon-lime soda.
3/4 oz of Limoncello liqueur.
1/2 oz of raspberry puree.
Garnish with a lemon wheel, a mint leaf, and 3 frozen whole raspberries.
About the cocktail:
“I created this for spring banquets when you want an elegant yet delicious refreshing drink!” Gould said.
12. Italian Margarita
Created by: Lara Jones
Company: Lettuce Entertain You
Location: Chicago
Recipe:
Tequila
Grand Marnier
Guava Puree
Sour Mix
Aperol
Shake, add to a high ball with ice peach wedge garnish.
About the Cocktail:
“I love tequila!” Jones said.
Vote for your favorite summer cocktail
Now that you have seen all of the Sip-Sational summer cocktails, it is time to vote! Vote up to once daily between now and Thursday, March 23 at 11:59 pm PST. Click here to vote!