Santa Barbara’s finest bartenders came together last Thursday, bringing their innovative ingredients and the heartfelt stories behind them to the second annual Official Drink of Santa Barbara Cocktail Contest at El Paseo.
“We invite the public to sample the drinks of some of our region’s most creative mixologists, root for their favorite, and raise a toast to our community’s extraordinarily gifted food and drink professionals,” said Kathy Janega-Dykes, the president and CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, which hosted the event along with the Santa Barbara Independent.
Twenty-one businesses submitted entries to independent.com, where the public voted for their favorites, either based on the story alone or after a trip to the participating restaurants for a taste of the drink. After 635 votes were tallied, the finalists invited to the live competition on June 21 were the Biltmore Fuerte by the Four Seasons Resort, The Drive Home by Finch & Fork, the Riviera Hermosa by Santo Mezcal, Puesta del Sol by Loquita, and The American Riviera by Santa Barbara Brewing Company.