Results are in and voters at the SIP-tember Finale have made their decision. With 37% of the vote, the Ruth’s Chris Steak House Broad Street Hurricane was chosen the Pasadena Cocktail of the Year 2012.
Pasadena Chamber Board Members CL Keedy and Tom Daly presented the 2012 Cocktail of theYear trophy to Linda Jordan, Mike Dane and Kenny Luu of Ruth's Chris Steak House.
Many thanks to all the competitors. Congratulations to the four finalist cocktails, the Basil Lemon Martini from Gale’s Restaurant, Magnolia Lounge’s Vinnie Chase and the Finding Nemo from Toro Sushi Bar Lounge, as well as Ruth’s Chris’ Hurricane.
Two hundred people were on hand for the finale of the SIP-tember Cocktail Bracket Challenge. In addition to the four featured cocktail finalists, guests at the SIP-tember Bracket Challenge Finale tasted culinary treats from Real Food Daily, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Haven Gastropub+Brewery, Stonefire Grill,El Cholo, Noor Restaurant and Ballroom, California Pizza Kitchen, King’s Row Gastropub, Arclight Cinemas, Toro Sushi Bar Lounge and more.
The team from Toro Sushi served the Finding Nemo.
Music for the Cocktail Bracket Challenge Finale was provided by Dance Syndicate. Paseo Colorado very generously provided their plaza space for the event.
The Sip-tember Cocktail Bracket Challenge Grand Finale was presented by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Burbank Bob Hope Airport, Anderson Business Technology,Fair Trade Pasadena, Hillsides, Hilton Pasadena, Pasadena Public Library, Walnut Hill Dental and Zigabid. Pasadena Magazine is the media sponsor of the SIP-tember Cocktail Bracket Challenge Finale.
The SIP-tember cocktail bracket challenge is an annual six week long competition among Pasadena Chamber of Commerce member restaurants and lounges. Competitors served drinks that were paired against each other in a competition.
In our inaugural year, 64 cocktails, ranging from drinks specially concocted for the competition to margaritas and sangria, began the competition that lasted six weeks and culminated in the live taste-off of the four drinks that won their brackets.
Over the past six weeks, online voters have whittled the list down from 64 cocktails. In total more than 7500 voters were cast during the five weeks of online voting.
Congratulations to those who made it through to the Fabulous Four:
Bill Walden, bartender at Gale's, served the Basil Lemon Martini.
You can still taste many of the competitor drinks by visiting the venues that took part in the SIP-tember Cocktail Bracket Challenge.
2012 SIP-tember and citywide Julia Child cocktail party participants were:
- a/k/a: an American Bistro
- Magnolia Lounge
- Bar Celona
- POP Champagne and Dessert Bar
- Sushi Roku
- The Tap Room at the Langham Huntington Hotel
- Vertical Wine Bistro
- California Pizza Kitchen
- El Portal
- Gale’s
- Ix-tapa
- Green Street Restaurant
- Japon Bistro
- El Cholo
- Villa Sorriso
- Market on Holly
- Bar 1886 at The Raymond
- 300 Pasdena
- New York Deli
- Ruth’s Chris Steak House
- Toro Sushi
SIP-tember kicked off on August 15th with the Citywide Cocktail Party to honor the
Jamie Parker served Magnolia's Vinnie Chase.
100th anniversary of the birth of Pasadena’s own Julia Child. SIP-tember is a collaboration of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and our restaurant members. Sponsors of SIP-temberare the City of Pasadena, Merrill Lynch/Bank of America and the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce.
