LES cocktail contest to be held in honor of departed NYC owl Flaco

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Six New York City bartenders are set to face off next week in a drink-making competition dedicated to beloved owl Flaco, who died just over a year after capturing the hearts of New Yorkers with his daring escape from the Central Park Zoo.

El Buho Mezcal (“the owl” in Spanish)—a brand founded nearly 15 years ago by Brooklyn-based chef TJ Steele—is hosting the competition at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, to honor the celebrity owl.

Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl’s life was cut short in February when he collided with a building on the Upper West Side. His death was met with an outpouring of love and sadness from his fans, who oft saw the large bird soaring through the city and was frequently photographed.

The Central Park Zoo said that it had kept an eye on Flaco after he escaped, a caper that has yet to be solved, and were prepared to intervene if he seemed in distress.

Held at La Contenta, a Lower East Side restaurant located at 102 Norfolk St., the "Midsummer Night's Bartender Cocktail Competition" in honor of "El Flaco" will pit a bartender from the host restaurant, Mezcali (Financial District), Mayahuel (Astoria), Tabu (Williamsburg), Oxomoco (Greenpoint) and Invito Restaurant (Westchester) against one another to make the best drink inspired by the owl's life.

The event is open to the public, the winner will receive a cash prize and a portion of the contest proceeds will benefit the NYC Bird Alliance , organizers said.

El Buho Mezcal will also be on site selling wooden Flaco keyrings .