| (January 17th, 2020 – Tampa, Fla.) – Who makes the best cocktail in Tampa Bay? Creative Loafing is letting locals decide at the 4th annual HighBall Craft Cocktail Competition 2020 on Friday, January 31st, 2020 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Nova 535 (535 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. St. N. in St. Pete). Less than 20 pairs of VIP tickets remain. Attendees will mix and mingle with Tampa Bay’s best bartenders as they sip their way around unlimited craft cocktail samples to find the best. HighBall will showcase 16 craft cocktails created by Tampa Bay’s top mixologists with either whiskey, vodka, gin, or rum as they compete to be named Tampa Bay’s Best Cocktail at HighBall. Plus, vote on favorites in each spirit category while enoying live music and entertainment, local bites, and more fun surprises to be announced. In 2019, winners included: Best Craft Cocktail – Sea Sea Riders, Best Gin Cocktail – The Living Room, Best Rum Cocktail – L Bar at Hard Rock, Best Vodka Cocktail – Sea Sea Riders, and Best Whiskey Cocktail – The Bricks. Previous year’s winners of the title of Best Craft Cocktail include The Living Room (2018) and Flanagan’s Irish Pub (2017). This year’s competitors include: GIN Featuring BeefeaterAnchor and Brine | Nikole Calvo Violet Spritz: Beefeater Gin, crème de violet, Luxardo liqueur, fresh lemon, prosecco Bulla Gastrobar | Iliana Rivera Lemongrass Collins: Beefeater Gin, fresh squeezed lemon juice, housemade lemongrass syrup, St. Elder, cucumber, rosemary sprig Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro | Erin Weber Bucha Blisstini: Beefeater Gin, St-Germain, lemon, pink grapefruit juice, Mother Kombucha’s The Trop The Bricks | Caroline Lease Here to Mars: Beefeater Gin, cranberry-rosemary compound, fresh lemon juice, handmade almond orgeat, handmade falernum, topped with fresh ginger soda RUM Featuring Malibu Casa Tina | Samuel Vinson Plantain: Malibu Rum, Yellow Chartreuse, fresh lime juice, muddled plantains with a jalepeño sweet corn foam Datz | Eva Al-gharaballi Kiwi Be Friends: Malibu Black, coconut water, lime juice, kiwi Monin, ginger-lime foam Paul’s Landing | Crystal Williams Stress Reliever: Malibu Rum, pineapple, orange juice, cream of coconut, topped with Myers Sonder Social Club | Mike Linden Tropic Thunder: Malibu-braised pineapple, rum, banana Angostura foam, black lime, Dope Salt, coconut snow VODKA Featuring Absolut Council Oak | Lorzeno Cardei Lady in Red: Absolut Vodka, prickly pear vodka, sour mix, prickly pear puree, ginger beer, garnished with a dragon fruit slice and a rose Ichicoro Ane | Cody Capobianco Uncle Iroh’s Milk Tea: Oolong-infused Absolut Vodka, Umepon Soju, lemon, honey, clarified milk Perspective at Art Ovation | Rob Boyland Åhus Me?!: Cream-washed Absolut Vodka, chocolate waffle cone soda, chocolate bitters, waffle cone rim World of Beer | Courtney Booth Garden Party: Absolut Vodka, St-Germain, lemon juice, mint, agave nectar, strawberry WHISKEY Featuring Jameson First Chance Last Chance | Mo Pickering Copay: Jameson Stout Edition, Absolut Apple Juice, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, one slightly aggressive dash of Angostura bitters Gigglewaters | Brennen Brainard Black Magic: Jameson, Meletti Amaro syrup with toasted walnut and chicory, vanilla-infused Allspice Dram topped with a spiced black cherry (a take on a Black Manhattan!) Strandhill Public | Rory Martin Sine Metu: Jameson, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine D.O.M., Angostura bitters, Peychaud’s bitters TASTE Downtown Tampa | Kylie Bellows The Vixen: Jameson, Campari, Triple Sec, plum bitters, fresh lemon juice, sugar water, black tea, Fee Foam, orange rind, thyme The following pricing structure will be in effect: Advance Pricing ($10 savings) Now through January 30th VIP Admission $90 | General Admission $60 Day-Of Pricing (if available) January 31st VIP Admission $100 | General Admission $70 VIP Admission includes: • Early entry for an extra hour of sampling from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. • A VIP lanyard and take-home shot glass • A VIP-only area with restrooms and a private balcony • VIP-only tiki cocktails by Sonder Social Club • Craft cocktail samples from each competitor • Complimentary hors d’oeuvres • Wine + kratom sampling • Photobooth • Live music + entertainment • Voting in each category of the HighBall competition • + other fun surprises! General Admission includes: • Craft cocktail samples from each competitor • Complimentary hors d’oeuvres • Wine + kratom sampling • Photobooth • Live music + entertainment • Voting in each category of the HighBall competition • + other fun surprises! Designated Driver Admission includes: • Complimentary hors d’oeuvres • Live music + entertainment • Photobooth *No alcohol is included with this ticket.* For more information on HighBall 2020, visit highballtampabay.com Please use the following hashtag for all digital promotions: #HighBallTampaBay 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.### |