Set the Bar
It’s a beautiful spring Sunday afternoon at the ballpark. The manicured outfield at Ed Smith Stadium is in gorgeous green contrast to a bright blue sky. But instead of home runs, hundreds of people are talking high-balls and hibiscus syrup. Instead of buying peanuts and Cracker Jack, they are here to sample creative craft cocktails, made by 25 of the best mixologists from locally owned restaurants on the Suncoast.
The Set the Bar cocktail competition, sponsored by Sarasota-Manatee Originals, highlights an aspect of our local restaurants that is very important to their success. For nearly 20 years, Sarasota-Manatee Originals has hosted the incredibly popular Forks & Corks Food and Wine festival. Many of us would agree that a fine wine can elevate great food. But cocktails often must stand alone, and require in-house creativity and chemistry, both of which were on full display at Set the Bar.
“The level of details is pretty impressive,” emphasizes Marc Grimaud, board president of Sarasota-Manatee Originals. “People have infused ice cubes, infused liquor, and mixers. They are breaking down walls in mixology. It’s fascinating to see how they alter classic cocktails and create brand new ones, including mocktails.”
Each of the 25 participating local restaurants is assigned an alcohol category for their drink creation: vodka, tequila, gin, rum, or bourbon. It is a juried competition, with eight industry professionals conducting blind scoring to pick category winners. The judges also choose a best overall cocktail.
But the more than 500 attendees aren’t there just to sample and soak up the sun. They enjoy live entertainment and light bites, because no one should drink on an empty stomach. And they also award the well-regarded People’s Choice cocktail. This year it went to Kolucan Mexican Bar & Grill, the latest opening by owner Gino Calleja in the Gulf Gate neighborhood in Sarasota. And the story alone behind the winning drink “Mullix” made them a winner with me.
“It all goes back to me growing up,” reminisces Calleja. “In Mexico, there is a spicy tamarind candy that is both sweet and sour, and an agua fresca, and we all love it. One day I said how fun would it be to add alcohol.”
Well, this is obviously a man after my own heart. But Calleja elevated his childhood memory.
“We made fresh tamarind syrup and used the thick pulp as a base. Then we added toasted chile de arbol–infused tequila. We put five chiles de arbol in each bottle for five days. Then the garnish is burnt tortilla, for another level of smoky flavor with sea salt.”
“Mullix” is a winning combo of sweet, spicy, smoky, and salty all at the same time. It is now available on the cocktail menu at Kolucan.
Set the Bar is a true “Cheers!” to our local restaurants and all their creative efforts. Look for its return in late spring 2025.
