Cocktail Wars Newport and Newport Live Events, with sponsor Connecticut’s Litchfield Distillery, hosted an Espresso Martini cocktail competition at Newport’s Gardiner House during the Newport Winter Festival on Feb. 25. Spearheaded by Cocktail Wars Newport Founder and Bartender John Begin and emceed by Tom Kelly, General Manager, Yagi Noodles, the event featured nine bartenders creating their version of an espresso martini featuring Connecticut-grown and -made Litchfield Distillery Batchers’ Vodka for a panel of judges, which included Douglas Maloney, Brand Ambassador, Litchfield Distillery; Brittany Rosenberg, Newport Winter Festival; and Alex Brandariz, Cork to Fork Consulting. Competitors were cheered on as they worked to create their cocktails for judges to evaluate and for guests to sample. The winners were: first place: Jason Kindness, Owner/Bartender, Kai Bar; second place: Darwin Almonte, Bar 12; and third place: Nayessa Carrellas, Bartender, Stoneacre Brasserie. The Litchfield Distillery spirits line is distributed in Rhode Island by Johnson Brothers.
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- Cocktail Wars Newport and Litchfield Distillery hosted an Espresso Martini cocktail competition at Newport’s Gardiner House on Feb. 25.
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- Back Row: Tom Kelly, Event Emcee and General Manager, Yagi Noodles; Brittany Booher, Bartender, Capriccio; Dan Reagan, Bartender, Hemenway’s Restaurant; John Begin, Founder, Cocktail Wars and Bar Manager, Gardiner House; Kyle Saulnier, Newport Live Events; Jason Kindness, Owner/Bartender, Kai Bar; and Douglas Maloney, Brand Ambassador, Litchfield Distillery. Front Row: Brooke Lenling, Bartender, Mother Pizzeria; Darwin Almonte, Bar 12; Nayessa Carrellas, Bartender, Stoneacre Brasserie.
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- Litchfield Distillery Batchers’ Double-Barreled Bourbon Whiskey and Batchers’ Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
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- Litchfield Distillery Batchers’ Vodka.
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- Litchfield Distillery Batchers’ Agave Spirits and Owen’s Espresso Martini Mix.
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- Newport Live Events’ Kelly Faller and Faith Lambert.
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- Competition Judges Douglas Maloney, Brand Ambassador, Litchfield Distillery; Brittany Rosenberg, Newport Winter Festival; and Alex Brandariz, Cork to Fork Consulting.
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- Tom Kelly, Event Emcee and General Manager, Yagi Noodles.
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- First-place winner Jason Kindness, Owner/Bartender, Kai Bar.
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- Kindness’ cocktail, Litchfield Distillery Batchers’ Vodka, fresh espresso, Averna and allspice dram topped with mascarpone maple pistachio cream and lemon shortbread crumbles.
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- Second-place winner Darwin Almonte, Bar 12.
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- Almonte’s cocktail.
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- Third-place winner Nayessa Carrellas, Bartender, Stoneacre Brasserie.
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- Kyle Saulnier, Newport Live Events.
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- Saulnier’s cocktail.
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- Brittany Booher, Bartender, Capriccio.
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- Booher’s cocktail.
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- Dan Reagan, Bartender, Hemenway’s Restaurant.
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- Reagan’s cocktail.
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- Brooke Lenling, Bartender, Mother Pizzeria.
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- Lenling’s cocktail.
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- Nick Aprea, Bartender, Gardiner House.
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- Vidal Aguilar, Bartender, Gardiner House.
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- David Rosenberg, Founder, Newport Winter Festival; Douglas Maloney, Brand Ambassador, Litchfield Distillery; John Begin, Founder, Cocktail Wars and Bar Manager, Gardiner House; and Brittany Rosenberg, Newport Winter Festival.
Photos by Laura Widness.
