Inaugural Virginia Cocktail Games Are Underway!

Embracing local producers means imbibing tasty treats from distilleries around the commonwealth! In that spirit, the Virginia Cocktail Games highlights bartenders from around the state, crafting cocktails that use Virginia spirits and pay tribute to the Summer Olympics. The Virginia Spirits Board has chosen 25 semifinalists, five from each region of the state, to advance to the next level, where voters choose Virginia’s 2024 Cocktail of the Year.

Initially, 80 participating bartenders submitted a cocktail creation using at least one locally distilled product from their region of the commonwealth. A panel from the Virginia Spirits Board, the Virginia bartending community, and Virginia distillers selected five cocktails from each region of the state from more than 80 bartender submissions. The winners advanced to the regional digital voting round.

From July 26 to Aug. 11, cocktail enthusiasts are invited to cast their votes online for their favorite cocktail recipes crafted with Virginia-made spirits.

The Virginia Cocktail Games highlights the talent and innovation of local bartenders as well as the talents of commonwealth distilleries. Voters can visit VirginiaSpirits.org to view details about the 25 semifinalist cocktails, learn more about the participating bartenders, and cast their votes to determine five finalists, one from each region, to advance to the next round.

Central Virginia finalists for the Virginia Cocktail Games are:

• Chetta Vilaicharoentrakul (He/Him) Monsoon Siam, Charlottesville – Cocktail: Glorious Victory
• Breannah Carr (She/Her) Devils Backbone Brewpub and Restaurant, Roseland – Cocktail: Pour l’amour du gin
• Dom Giannelli (He/Him) The Jasper, Richmond – Cocktail: Lasting Legacy
• Paul Polk (He/Him) Charlotte’s Southern Deli, Richmond – Cocktail: Breakfast of Champions
• Ernesto Gonzalez (He/Him) Grisette, Richmond – Cocktail: Triple Jump

“We’re fortunate to have so much talent, innovation and dedication to local ingredients in the Virginia distilling and mixology communities. It was fun to see how the bartenders highlighted a regionally-made spirit with each submission,” Jack Gorman, Executive Director of the Virginia Spirits Board Marketing Office, said in a press release.

The five finalists will compete in a live, in-person cocktail showdown on Sept. 14 during Virginia Spirits Month at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond as part of its annual Virginia Distilled event presented by Virginia Spirits.

The winning mixologist will be credited with creating the “Virginia 2024 Cocktail of the Year,” which will be promoted on VirginiaSpirits.org, @vaspirits social media channels and in Virginia ABC stores throughout Virginia. The winner will also receive a cash prize and registration, accommodation and a travel stipend to attend the US Bartender’s Guild’s Bar Summit 2025.

From press release on behalf of the Virginia Sprits Board Marketing Office. Images by Todd Wright