by Shaun Layton | The Barate Kid is down to the final 16! This year, organisers Keenan Hood and Gez McAlpine have taken the already awesome annual cocktail competition and made it into a year-long, heat by heat, city by city (Vancouver, Victoria, Okanagan), no holds barred slobberknocker. With over 60 competitors to start – and close to a thousand cocktails already banged out – it’s now time to crown a champ! The able finalists are:

Amber Bruce – The Keefer Bar
Thor Paulson – L’Abattoir
Micky Valens – Wildebeest
Cam Brown – Bacarro (Kelowna)
Robyn Gray – Prohibition
Navin Toor – The Keefer Bar
Alfred Siu – The Diamond
Kyle Guilfoyle – Little Jumbo (Victoria)
Jared Fontaine – The Keefer Bar
Dave Simps – Gateway Casino
Alex Kagel – 21C (Kelowna)
Rob Scope – Cascade Room
Adam Domet – Supermarine
Nathan Caudle – Little Jumbo (Victoria)
Chris Enns – Revel Room
Danielle Tatarin – The Keefer Bar

The pot will be $5,000 cold hard cash, as well as bragging rights, legions of new twitter followers, and maybe some endorsement deals. Oh, and sidebars will abound — the last heat saw a man bun get chopped! Yours truly will be judging alongside two of New York City’s best barkeeps, Sam Ross and Mike Mcllroy (formerly of Milk and Honey, now Attaboy).

Score tickets at the door for $5. This isn’t a cover, as proceeds go to Aprons for Gloves (that includes cocktail sales). Costumes, signs, and other flare strongly encouraged. See you there!

PS. Here’s a teaser of the action to come. That’s Thor Paulson (Wildebeest, now L’Abattoir) doing a painstakingly executed triple shake, not an easily executed move!

THE DRINKER’S ARCHIVE