Yesterday’s KRUSH 92.5 Craft Mixology cocktail throw down at the Mid-State Fair with CorkDorks Adam Montiel and Jeremy West in front of a live audience was a huge success and a blast.

First place went to Fish Gaucho for their pistachio ice cream float in a tin-cup with dry ice. Second place went to perennial favorite and now part-organizer Sidecar SLO and 3rd place went to Luna Red’s adult Capri Sun in biodegradable pouch, biodegradable straw, and recycled lemons in a crazy Breaking Bad-style infusion. Of course there was a numerical score tied to presentation, flavor and originality–among other things–but I came up with a few of more important categories during the event.

Most heard: “Can I eat this?!?”
Most woke: Luna Red
Most nervous: Craft Paso
Funniest: The Sweet Springs remodel: “We just cleaned the bathrooms and re-opened.” “The whiskey doesn’t have AIDS in it anymore.”

Most confident: Mason Bar
Most inedible garnish: tie: Allegretto’s dried Orange and 1122’s Umami shroom

Most delicious ingredient: Fish Gaucho’s toasted pistachios
Prettiest garnish: Craft Paso’s freaking marigold inside an ice cube
Word I never need to hear associated with cocktails again: “caviar”

Best alcohol ingredient: Refind’s limoncello
Garnish most likely to disappear first: Sidecar’s cotton candy

Best new saloon hashtag: #divecraft
Biggest Shake-Weight: Fish Gaucho
Best name: Midsummer Night’s Gin
Best beard: tie between all 30 of them

Fastest thing to come out of a cocktail: rhubarb
Best cocktail alternative: 15°C Wineshop’s Cougar Cooler

See all the voodoo mixology in my story highlights on Instagram @eatdrinkCA