Patti Frank from Roots Handmade Pizza in Chicago was named the winner of the National Restaurant Association's third annual Star of the Bar competition, held in conjunction with the 2012 International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event's (IWSB) Restaurants Rock event earlier this week.
Frank competed against two other finalists, and her Drunken Flower was selected as the winning cocktail by judges Tony Abou-Ganim "The Master Mixologist," Dale DeGroff "King Cocktail," and Bravo TV's Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani. As Star of the Bar winner, Frank was awarded $5,000 cash.
Star of the Bar competitors submitted videos of themselves perfecting a signature cocktail recipe that prominently featured at least one product from an IWSB exhibitor. Semi-finalists were selected by visitors to the IWSB website who voted on their favorites. Six semi-finalists then competed live at the IWSB event at Chicago's McCormick Place, with event attendees selecting the three finalists who competed at Restaurants Rock, the official NRA Show and IWSB evening celebration.
All proceeds from Restaurants Rock benefit the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's ProStart program.
Frank's Drunken Flower is a commemorative cocktail in honor of her recent move to Chicago. She builds it with an ounce and a half of Broker's Gin, one ounce of Elderflower liqueur, one ounce of simple syrup, ¾ of an ounce of pomegranate juice, fresh squeezed lemon and ice. She then gives the drink a "quick, vigorous" shake, strains it over the ice in a Collins glass, and finishes it off with dry, sparkling white wine. Frank then garnishes the drink with a fresh sprig of thyme for aroma, color and flavor. Here's a video of the cocktail's creation:
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