Thursday, Le Méridien Philadelphia and aMuse restaurant, the luxury Hotel located just north of City Hall partnered with Visit Philly and some of the city’s top hotel bartenders to host the first Visit Philly With Love Cocktail Competition to celebrate National Tourism Week with local distiller sponsor Bluebird Distilling .

All cocktails in the competition will use one or both of Bluebird Distilling’s Juniperous Gin or Sugarcane Rum — perfect for summer imbibing in the city. The winning cocktail will be replicated as the new With Love cocktail and be made available at participating hotel bars across the city with a portion of proceeds benefitting Broad Street Ministry.

Kevin Lessard and Jim Washkau

 Margaret Hughes and Elka Battle-Murillo, both Deputy City Representatives

Partipants:
aMuse • Le Méridien • Sherwin Mitchell

Square 1682 • Hotel Palomar • Daniel Kulesik

Red Owl Tavern • Hotel Monaco • Kyle Darrow

Bar 210 at Lacroix • The Rittenhouse Hotel • Amy Farrell

Bank & Bourbon • The Loews • Melissa Phan

Aqimero • The Ritz Carlton, Philadelphia • TBC

Standing O • Doubletree Hotel • Justin Leipurt

Tameka White, Linda Sonnie, Chantal Freeman, Andi Coyle, and Trino Boix of Visit Philly

April McPhatter, Shops of Liberty Place, Brenda Mendte, Associate Publisher of Where Magazine, Jill Scarlett, Shops of Liberty Place and Linda Sonnie, Visit Philadelphia

Lead Bartender Amy Farrell from Lacroix at The Rittenhouse and Abbe Stern, Lacroix Private Event Manager

The judges:  Kristina Jenkins, Editor of UWISHUNU, Jared Adkins, Founder and Master Diller at Bluebird Distilling, Catherine Manning, President of United States Bartender’s Guild Philadelphia Chapter

James Zeleniak, Punch Media PR and Laura Burkhardt, Visit Philly with the prize winning trophy. How cute is that?

Winner: the winning restaurant and hotel gets bragging rights while the winning bartender will take home a prizes provided by Visit Philly and a bottle of Bluebird’s Juniperous Gin and Sugarcane Rum.

Northeast Sales Manager for Bluebird Distilling, Chandra Robbins and UWISHUNU Editor, Kristina Jenkins

Sherwin Mitchell, Lead Bartender from aMuse at Le Méridien Hotel

Nina Starner, Kylie Flett, Angela Cottrell, Director of Sales and Marketing at Le Méridien

Lead Bartender, Melissa Phan from Bank and Bourbon at The Loews Hotel, pouring her signature cocktail, King George Surrender
The Bank & Bourbon Bash is coming up on May 16, the 3rd Anniversary of the popular restaurant.
It’s always a fun time, good food and bourbon.
Tickets & Info

Lead Bartender, runner up winner, Kevin Hoagland, from Aqimero at The Ritz Carlton pouring his signature cocktail.
Did you know the Richard Sandoval eatery has a new menu, and serves into the wee hours of the morning, 2AM. It’s delicious.

Winner of the competition, Lead Bartender, Kyle Darrow of Red Owl Tavern

Photos provided by Punch Media PR