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Friday, November 4, 2011
Edible Austin’s annual Drink Local Night expands local cocktail scene
UPDATE: The rules and regulations for the Official Drink of Austin cocktail competition have been posted on Edible Austin.
The schedule for this year’s Edible Austin Eat Drink Local Week has been announced, and with only a month until it happens, the lineup is looking particularly excellent for drinking enthusiasts.
For the past four years, Drink Local Night has been one of Austin’s most anticipated drinking events of the year. This time around it will be bigger and more boozy, thanks to the acquisition of a larger venue, the participation of more local spirits producers, and the melding of two of Austin’s biggest cocktail competitions.
Since the first Drink Local cocktail competition in 2007, Austin has played host to two citywide cocktail competitions every year — the Drink Local contest, and the Official Drink of Austin competition.
The Official Drink of Austin competition was originally produced as a collaboration between the Austin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Tito’s Vodka. It began in 2003, and all drinks had to be made with Tito’s (which at the time was the only distillery in Texas). The winning drink earned the title of Official Drink of Austin for the following year.
In recent years, with the rapid growth of the Texas spirits and cocktail scene, many people have felt that the contest has not accurately reflected the spectrum of talent and quality that Austin has to offer. In addition, having two major cocktail competitions fighting for center stage, both with the goal of producing a cocktail that would be considered representative of the “flavors of Austin,” is not conducive to creating a sense of unity within the community.
“The competition began as a way to promote Austin as a food and drink city,” Jennifer Walker, Director of Marketing for the Bureau explained, “Eventually we got to a certain stage where it has become so popular, it has grown to a level where it would more properly be managed by a local person with deep roots in the foodie and cocktail scene, which is why we decided to hand it over to David Alan this year.”
With David Alan of Tipsy Texan at the helm of the Official Drink of Austin competition, the contest will merge with Edible’s Drink Local Night to create a seamless showcase of Central Texas bartending talent and Texas-grown spirits.
“The industry that Tito Beveridge founded 15 years ago has grown by leaps and bounds, and alongside it so has our craft cocktail community. Drink Local Night will pay homage to Tito’s vision by showcasing the remarkable growth of Texas distilleries, and the best talent in Austin bartenders,” Alan explained via email.
The format of the new Official Drink of Austin competition will mirror that of the previous Drink Local contests, which followed United States Bartenders Guild competition guidelines, and several former winners of the Drink Local competition have agreed to judge this year’s event.
In addition to the new competition, Edible is also expanding the size of the event by taking over the ballroom at the AT&T Executive Education & Training Center. This provides more room for local distillers to showcase their spirits.
At least 11 local distillers have signed up to host tasting tables already. Spirits on site will include (but are not limited to) Treaty Oak rum, Paula’s Texas Orange, Balcones whisky, Tito’s vodka and even the elusive Garrison Brothers Bourbon, who cheekily promised to participate as long as no one mixes their whiskey in the contest.
Drink Local Night will take place on Thursday, December 8 from 6:30 to 9:30 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center Ballroom at the Carillon. There will be enough samples of each contestant’s cocktail for attendees to taste, and snacks (from Swift’s Attic, BC Tavern and the Carillon) will be provided to help soak up excess alcohol.
Check out Edible Austin’s full Eat Drink Local week lineup, get information on how to purchase tickets, and read more details on Drink Local Night on their website. Also of note, Edible has expanded their list of beneficiaries this year. Proceeds from events will benefit not only Urban Roots, but also the Sustainable Food Center this year.
Also, be sure to check out previous Austin360 coverage of Drink Local Night, to get pumped up for this year’s event.
**Top photo of 2010 winner Bill Norris and Edible Austin’s Jenna Noel taken by Emma Janzen.
Bottom photo of 2009 winner Lara Nixon taken by Addie Broyles.
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