Speed Rack Female Bartending Competition Announces National Finals & The First Annual Speed Rack Summit

By Chilled Magazine

Country’s Top Female Bartenders Compete for Industry Glory and Breast Cancer Research in Season 4 Competition Finals. Winner Named Miss Speed Rack USA 2015.

Serious stirring and shaking is about to happen, thanks to the New York return of Speed Rack, the only all-female, speed-bartending competition that raises money for breast cancer charities.  Almost 200 bartenders across the country have poured their hearts, souls and favorite spirits into the Speed Rack regional heats that were held in eight of the top cocktail cities nationwide – New York; Washington, D.C.; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and Chicago.  Eight finalists rose to the top and will be taking the stage on Sunday, June 14 – along with eight wildcard winners – in a shaking and stirring showdown at the Speed Rack National Finals in New York City.

Speed Rack Schedule

Speed Rack Schedule

Contestants will compete in timed heats to make rounds of cocktails, culled from a list of 50 accepted industry-standard classic recipes, in front of a panel of judges and a crowd of excited viewers. Judges rate each drink based on prep time and accuracy. The judging panel at Speed Rack National Finals will feature such leading cocktail-world luminaries as:  Dale DeGroff, a.k.a King Cocktail, Kate Krader of Food & Wine Magazine, Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club, and Charlotte Voisey, Portfolio Mixologist, William Grant & Sons, USA. Pernod Ricard’s Chris Patino will emcee the proceedings while Ryan Fitzgerald will DJ the night away.

After four years of continued success of the Speed Rack events across the country and globally in Canada and the U.K., the Speed Rack team will also launch The Speed Rack Summit, centered around the national finals. The four-day series taking place June 13 – 17, 2015 is designed to showcase each individual market visited during the Speed Rack tour, giving visiting bartenders a chance to show off their skills and their own city’s cocktail culture. In addition, Questlove (drummer and signature personality of “Tonight Show” house band The Roots) will DJ the after-party, sponsored by Budweiser, immediately following the national finals at Webster Hall on Sunday, June 14, 2015.

WHAT: Speed Rack National Finals

WHERE: Webster Hall 125 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003

WHEN: Sunday, June 14, 2015, from 5:00pm – 9:00pm; After-Party from 9:00pm – 12am

COST: Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 at the door. With suggested donation, attendees receive cocktails from our premium sponsors. Ticket purchase also grants entry into after-party at Webster Hall sponsored by Budweiser; Budweiser and Jameson drinks will be available for purchase to support Breast Cancer charities.

WHY: To date, Speed Rack has raised more than $300,000 globally for breast cancer charities and elevated top female bartenders in America and abroad who go shaker-to-shaker competing for industry glory and a Speed Rack title. Beneficiaries have included SHARE cancer support, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Susan G Love, The Helen David Foundation and others.

THE CONTENDERS:

  • Jackie Goldstein – ABV; Ms. Speed Rack San Francisco
  • Lacy Hawkins – The NoMad, Clover Club; Ms. Speed Rack New York
  • Julia Hurst – Rose’s Luxury; Ms. Speed Rack Washington, DC
  • Jacyara de Oliveira – Sportsman’s Club; Ms. Speed Rack Chicago
  • Brittini Rae Peterson – Melrose Umbrella Co.; Ms. Speed Rack Los Angeles
  • Zulcoralis Rodriguez – The Esquire Tavern, Ms. Speed Rack Dallas
  • Tracy Rowland – Bol; Ms. Speed Rack Denver
  • Angel Teta – Ataula; Ms. Speed Rack Seattle
  • Karri Cormican – Comstock Saloon, Lady of the Lushery; San Francisco Wildcard Winner
  • Karen Grill – Sassafras Saloon; Los Angeles Wildcard Winner
  • Erin Hayes – Lost Lake; Ms. Chicago Wildcard Winner
  • Tyler Hudgens – The Dabney, American Ice Company; Washington, D.C. Wildcard Winner
  • Connie Leaf – Sweet Basil Restaurant; Denver Wildcard Winner
  • Bridget Maloney – Witness; Seattle Wildcard Winner
  • Jessica Sanders – drink.well; Dallas Wildcard Winner
  • Tess Sawyer – Mother’s Ruin, Sekend Sun; New York Wildcard Winner

PRIZES:  Miss Speed Rack USA 2015 will join Speed Rack Founders Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix for an educational trip to the Jameson Distillery in Ireland and represent the United States at the Jameson Bartender Ball; along with the Speed Rack winner in each tour city. They will also receive an all-inclusive trip for two to France, where she will enjoy the beauty of the Anjou region and take a tour of the Cointreau distillery while attending the Cointreau Bartender Academie, an educational and intricate program designed to enlighten the trade on the secrets and subtleties of Cointreau.

In addition, the founding Partners of BAR (Beverage Alcohol Resource) are offering Miss Speed Rack USA 2014 a scholarship to their five-day program
and the winner will get a custom bar bag from Barkeeper & Co.

FYI: Speed Rack, Inc. was created by nationally acclaimed bartenders and industry ambassadors, Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix. Additional information can be found on the Speed Rack website Speed-Rack.com, on Facebook/SpeedRackInfo and on Twitter @Speed_Rack.

Check out the antics at last year’s regional heats VIDEO HERE. The 2014 -2015 tour is filmed videos by Le JIT Productions with event execution by Double Barrel Consulting.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!