Themes of the spring were in abundance at Columbus Monthly’s Spring Cocktail Competition, held on May 13 at Vue Columbus. About 250 guests sampled cocktails from 12 area bars and restaurants before voting for winners in three categories: Most Creative, Best Booth Design and Best Overall. In the end, the spirit of the season captured the mood and the votes.
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House of Spirits won for Best Booth Design, creating a flowery tea party—complete with mini cakes—to present its Spill the Tea cocktail, a gin-based drink which incorporated strawberry mint green tea syrup and rhubarb liquor.
Market Bar was awarded Most Creative for Passion Project, a bourbon-based cocktail sweetened with passionfruit, orange, lemon and grapefruit.
The CK Pub at the Cherry Valley Hotel won Best Overall for Spring Forager, another bourbon-based drink using carrot juice, thyme-honey syrup and celery rhubarb bitters among other seasonal flavors. Garnishes included fresh carrots or radishes, adding a refreshing crunch.
All cocktails were made with liquor from event sponsor Middle West Spirits.
Other participating venues were:
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Columbus Monthly Crowns Spring Cocktail Competition Winners: Here’s What the Crowd Chose
Reporting by Linda Lee Baird, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
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