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From left to right: Edwin Medina, Natalie Jacobs, Ivy Mix, and Garrett Richard all competed to be named the best bartender in New York City.
Lush Life
The search for the perfect cocktail can be challenging in New York, which has thousands of watering holes across the five boroughs.
But one company is giving it a whirl.
Appleton Estate Reserve hosted its second Remixology Bartender Challenge to weed out the best bartender in New York City Tuesday night at Lani Kai on Broome Street in Soho.
The winner moves on to compete against Miami, San Francisco and Boston winners Sept. 19.
Natalie Jacobs, Edwin Medina, Ivy Mix, and Garrett Richard all had to create two cocktails for the judges -- one based off their favorite song and the second inspired by their favorite New York movie.
We were on hand to take in the evening's costumes and competition. Bizarrely, the contestants only served up their signature cocktails to the judges, so we had to take their word for the finest concoction of the night.
When we arrived, patrons were drinking "The Swizzle."
Meredith Galante
The delicious cheese platter for party-goers to snack on before the challenge.
Meredith Galante
Ivy Mix came out to "Raspberry Beret" by Prince.
Courtesy of LAFORCE + STEVENS
Ivy Mix's Raspberry Beret
Meredith Galante
3 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve
.5 oz white Curaçao
.5 tsp bar sugar bar spoon orgeat
Egg white
Cinnamon
Ivy's second drink, "What She's Having," was based off "When Harry Met Sally." You can see the dancer's "O" face in the background.
Meredith Galante
What She's Having
Meredith Galante
1.5 Reserve
.75 Lustau Los Arcos Dry Amontillado
.5 Celery Syrup (2:1 super fine sugar to fresh celery juice)
.75 fresh lime juice
Dash absinthe
Top with soda
Celery garnish
Garrett Richard's first drink was "Guerolito” to Beck’s song “Que’ Onda Guero.”
Meredith Galante
Garrett's back-up dancer's interesting mask.
Meredith Galante
The cups Garrett poured the Guerolito into had the Virgin Mary on them.
Meredith Galante
Mixing it up
Meredith Galante
For his second drink, Garrett also channeled "When Harry Met Sally" and gave the female judge a rose he "picked himself."
Meredith Galante
Coincidentally, the drink was called “I’ll Have What She’s Having.”
Meredith Galante
He said he "felt like cupid" matching all the ingredients together.
Meredith Galante
I'll Have What She's Having
Meredith Galante
A rose by any other name..
The party scene at Lani Kai
Meredith Galante
Bartender Natalie Jacobs (right) waits for her turn to mix.
Meredith Galante
The judges were having a good time.
Meredith Galante
Edwin Medina came out to “Kung Fu Fighting," with exotic back-up dancers.
Meredith Galante
Edwin mixed his drinks in a teapot, then poured them into a cup-of-noodles container.
Meredith Galante
His drink is called the “Jamaican King Fu Tea.” He said his research showed the second largest ethnic population in Jamaica is Chinese.
Courtesy of LAFORCE + STEVENS
Jamaican King Fu Tea
Meredith Galante
1.5 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve
.25 organic light agave
1 oz persimmons nectar
1 oz coconut water infused with mandarin tea
Topped with sparkling wine
Natalie Jacobs came out to Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s hit song “Telephone" to mix her elixir, called “Hello Mai Baby”
Courtesy of LAFORCE + STEVENS
“Hello Mai Baby”
Courtesy of LAFORCE + STEVENS
1 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve
1/4 macadamia orgeat
1/4 pineapple demerara syrup
1/2 kalani coconut liquor
3/4 lime top champagne flute
Garnish lime or edible flower possibly a tiny Barbie telephone
She choose “Rear Window" as her favorite movie to inspire the cocktail “The Miss Lonelyheart.”
Courtesy of LAFORCE + STEVENS
Her Gaga-inspired act helped Natalie win and move on to the finals! Edwin placed second and Ivy Mix came in third
