This Thursday: Creative Loafing’s HighBall Another Round to Showcase Local Mixologists, Spirits

(May 9, 2017 – Tampa, Fla.) – Creative Loafing’s craft cocktail competition, HighBall, is back for another round of tipsy fun on Thursday, May 11th, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Rialto Theatre (1617 N. Franklin St. in Tampa). 

Featuring local spirits, bartenders, and more, HighBall Another Round 2017 will showcase craft cocktails created by Tampa Bay’s top mixologists with either whisky, vodka, gin, or rum as they compete to win the title of ‘Tampa Bay’s Best Cocktail’ at HighBall Another Round.

HighBall Another Round highlights four local Tampa Bay area distilleries and spirits: Kozuba & Sons Distillery’s Mr. Rye Whisky will be the featured whisky; Florida Cane Distillery’s Tamiami Gin the featured gin; Drum Circle Distilling’s Siesta Key Rum the featured rum; and Florida Cane Distillery’s Florida Cane Vodka the featured vodka. Four bartenders will compete in each liquor category—whisky, gin, vodka, rum—for a total of 16 bartenders. There will be winners for Best Whisky, Best Gin, Best Vodka, and Best Rum Cocktails, in addition to overall Best Overall Cocktail.

Not to mention, Creative Loafing (CL) will be celebrating the release of their Summer Guide Issue – in print and online on May 11th – and the winning cocktail will be featured at Creative Loafing’s annual Best of the Bay Awards Party in September.

A portion of proceeds will benefit Ybor City Museum Society.

Competing with Siesta Key Rum

Bob Heilman’s Beachcomber | Matthew Moscato 
Bob the Beachcomber Mai Tai | Siesta Key Rum, Creme de Noyaux, lemon, pineapple, & orange juice

Buya Ramen | Ryan Pines 
Pirate Booty | Siesta Key Rum, Giffard Blue Curacao Liqueur, passion fruit, Orgeat syrup, pineapple, & lemon juice topped with pirate coins, pineapple spear, & Caribbean spice blend

Ichicoro Ramen | Jessica Wohlers 
Jessica Wohlers’ Improved Hero Water | Siesta Key Rum, coconut cream, cucumber, Velvet Falernum, lime, & Angostura Bitters

Taps Restaurant Bar & Lounge | Scott Wenger 
The Lazy Hammock | Stay tuned for cocktail details.

Competing with Kozuba & Sons Mr. Rye Whisky

Casey’s Craft Bar Kitchen | Dylan Clements 
Kozuba & Sons Mr. Rye Whisky, lemon, brown sugar, & cinnamon

Castile Restaurant | Robby Rosello 
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (WTF) | Kozuba & Sons Mr. Rye Whisky, Yellow Chartreuse, orange juice, & lemon juice topped with almond & Himalayan sea Salt foam

Pisces Sushi & Global Bistro | Stephen Bessette 
Yuzu Hana (translation: Yuzu Flower) | Kozuba & Sons Mr. Rye Whisky, passion fruit pulp, Yuzu Juice, Passoã, muddled shiso leaves, & garnished with micro shiso

Catcher and the Rye
Stay tuned for cocktail details.

Competing with Tamiami Gin

Datz | Morgan Zuch
Hellflower | Tamiami Gin, Calvados, hibiscus, hellfire shrub, elderberry hibiscus kombucha, passion fruit, cracked black pepper, & fresh edible hibiscus flowers

Franklin Manor 
Stay tuned for cocktail details.

O Cocina Modern Mexican | Sean O’Donnell 
Tamiami Gin, Orgeat syrup, guava, Falernum, & Green Chartreuse

Tampa Marriott Waterside | Rebecca Reiss 
A Little R ‘n’ R | Tamiami Gin, rhubarb liquor, fresh rhubarb-infused simple syrup, & homemade grapefruit tonic water, topped with a sprig of rosemary & served up with a smoked sugar rim

Competing with Florida Cane Vodka

District Tavern | Ryan Fitzgerald 
Raspberry Beret | Yogurt washed Florida Cane Vodka, raspberry, cacao nibs, & love

Flanagan’s Irish Pub | Michael Webb 
Mule-A-Rita | Florida Cane Vodka, cilantro, lime juice, ginger beer, & smoked habanero simple syrup topped with a secret ingredient

Park & Rec | Terrance Walz 
Rosie Mae | Florida Cane Vodka, fresh muddled habanero pepper, homemade mint simple syrup, & tart cherry juice

The Living Room | Anthony Rizzotto 
It’s a surprise, you’ll see. 

In January, HighBall was introduced as CL’s first craft cocktail competition in celebration of the annual Drinking Issue. January’s HighBall featured 16 local bartenders competing in the whisky, vodka, gin, and rum categories; as voted on by attendees in January 2017, Best Whisky & Overall Craft Cocktail went to Flanagan’s Irish Pub, Best Vodka Craft Cocktail went to The Cask and Ale, Best Gin Craft Cocktail went to Casey’s Craft Bar Kitchen, and Best Rum Craft Cocktail went to District Tavern. For a video from the January event, visit: bit.ly/highballvideo

Tickets for HighBall Another Round are on sale now and available for purchase at cltampa.com/highball

General Admission (GA) tickets are $25 in advance now through May 10th and $40 at the door on May 11th. GA includes craft cocktail samples from each bar/restaurant; bites by District Tavern, Catering by the Family, & more; & voting in each category of the HighBall competition.

VIP tickets are $50 in advance now through May 10th and $80 at the door on May 11th. VIP includes early entry for an extra hour of sampling without the crowds from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; passed apps by Casey’s Craft Bar Kitchen during VIP-only hour; craft cocktail samples from each bar/restaurant; bites by District Tavern, Catering by the Family, & more; & voting in each category of the HighBall competition.

Complimentary on-site valet will be provided by Sunshine Valet.

Creative Loafing has once again teamed up with Lyft to get attendees to and from the event safely. First-time Lyft users get their first ride free up to $20 by downloading the app, creating an account, and entering the code CLTAMPA in the ‘Payment’ section.

Attendees are encouraged to RSVP to the Facebook event page to stay in-the-know: bit.ly/highballarfb17

Special thanks to partners Rialto Theatre, Kozuba & Sons Distillery, Siesta Key Rum, Tamiami Gin, Florida Cane Vodka, CW’s Gin Joint, BarSupply.com, Roundhouse Creative, and Lyft.

For more information on HighBall, visit cltampa.com/highball

Please use the following hashtag for all digital promotions: #CLHighBall

About Creative Loafing

Creative Loafing is an award-winning alternative, weekly newspaper and website committed to providing Tampa Bay with an independent perspective, up-to-the-minute local news, and a comprehensive listing of local happenings. Creative Loafing offers readers’ unique monthly events and CL Deals, a locally focused platform featuring dining and event experiences at half-off their regular price. For more information about Creative Loafing, visit cltampa.com and cldeals.com.

About Southcomm, Inc.   

Formed in 2007, Southcomm Inc. is the nation’s second-largest publisher of alternative weeklies, one of the largest publishing companies serving chambers of commerce, and with the Cygnus Business Media purchase in 2014, a significant player in the B2B publishing world. The Nashville-based company now owns more than 30 titles reaching millions of B2B professionals and consumers annually, via its diverse suite of print, digital, online and live-event products. The company has offices in Nashville, Tenn.; Fort Atkinson, Wis.; Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Louisville, Ky.; Kansas City, Mo.; Cincinnati; Tampa, Fla.; Arlington Heights, Ill.; and Florence, Ky. For more information, visit southcomm.com.

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