Bar Brawl, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa’s battle of the bartenders, will return to jade bar for another summer cocktail showdown between the area’s top mixologists. The competition launches July 16 with match-ups every Sunday at 8 p.m. Winners of the first four battles will move on to semifinals Aug. 13 and Aug. 20. A final championship on Aug. 27 will crown one bartender “Bar Brawl’s Champion” and serve up the grand prize – a fun-filled trip to Austin City Limits. Past champions include Kyle Mason of Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia and Keifer Gilbert of Crudo and Counter Intuitive.
Resort guests and locals, alongside the Phoenix bar community, are invited to gather at jade bar to cheer on the competitors while enjoying entertainment by DJ Hybrid and a menu of “Bar Brawl Bites” at happy hour prices, starting at 8 p.m. each evening of the competition. jade bar’s lead mixologist Eddie Aces will emcee the events. Each will highlight specific spirits and ingredients, and cocktails will be judged by a panel of local celebrities. Admission to all events is free.
This year’s eight competitors have been mixing things up at the best bars in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Chandler. They include:
Piroose Hajizadeh-Amini, Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
Kyle Landry, Crudo
Liza Loewenhagen, Cobra Arcade Bar
Alex Knight, Culinary Dropout
William Luddington, The Ostrich
Gavin Pena, The Clever Koi
Rando Shields, Shady’s Fine Ale’s and Cocktails
Sam Penton, Counter Intuitive
The Bar Brawl schedule is as follows:
• July 16 – Pena vs. Hajizadeh-Amini
• July 23 – Lowenhagen vs. Knight
• July 30 – Shields vs. Luddington
• Aug. 6 – Landry vs. Penton
• Aug. 13 – Semi-finals
• Aug. 20 – Semi-finals
• Aug. 27 – Championship: “Bar Brawl Champion” crowned.
