The events in this blog post occurred just before Christmas, I'm really behind :)
Prairie Fire was hosting a contest a few months ago to find Chicago's Best Amateur Bartender. I encouraged Adam to enter and after a little prodding he agreed. To enter, you had to craft a cocktail using at least one local ingredient and post it on Prairie Fire's facebook page along with instructions on how to make it.
2 finalists would be chosen to come into Prairie Fire and guest bartend for the night. Whoever made the most tips would be winner (with all tips going to charity - Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign).
Since the title of the post kind of already gave it away, it's not too much of a spoiler to tell you that Adam was the big winner! Here's out it went down.
Check out the menu for the night with Adam's name at the top and his cocktail listed! So cool!
Roger was the other finalist. The competition started with the two of them making one of their cocktails for the other one so that they could both see what the competition was.
Adam working his mixing magic.
Adam is crowned the winner, looks like he spilled a bit...
Some of our friends that came out for the night to cheer him on.
All in all, they raised over $300 for charity that night. For winning, Adam was invited back to bartend again with tips going to the charity of his choice as well as to head down to the Green City Market to demonstrate with the head chef of Prairie Fire (which he didn't get to do because it was during work hours)
Here's how to make Adam's award winning White Winter Whiskey Sour.
The Polaroid frame is by Flergs.
White Winter Whiskey Sour
2 oz Death's Door White Whiskey
.75 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
.75 oz Rosemary Simple Syrup (DD Whiskey is a little sweeter than your standard bourbon or rye so I don't use a full ounce of syrup)
1/2 Egg White (enough to make a good froth without weighing down the drink)
Fresh Rosemary Sprig
Rosemary Simple Syrup
3/4 cup White Sugar
3/4 cup Water
4-5 Rosemary Sprigs
Simmer sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Pour over rosemary and let steep for at least one hour or until cool. Strain out rosemary
Add spirit, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white into cocktail shaker. Mime shake (no ice) hard for at least 30 seconds. You are looking for the egg white to emulsify and create a really frothy liquid. Open shaker, add ice then shake again until very cold. Strain into chilled cocktail coupe. Take rosemary sprig, slap it hard between your palms to release aroma then place it on the froth.
