Punch was the grandaddy of all cocktails, meant for sharing amongst friends and enhancing social engagements. Showcasing amazing barkeeps around the country isn’t easy, but it sure is delicious in the nation’s sixth annual punch competition. The theme of the competition is large format, and the participating bartenders are given 30 minutes to prepare 1 punch bowl featuring 1 bottle of spirits along with their special ingredients. Together with top barkeeps around the country, Punch Kings is preserving the “The Original Bottle Service”.
2018 PUNCH KING FINALISTS
AWARD-WINNING BARTENDERS FROM 11 CITIES WILL GO ON TO COMPETE AT THE 2 FINALIST COMPETITIONS: THE TEQUILA INVITATIONAL IN CHICAGO & THE BOURBON FINALE “LAST CALL” IN BRECKENRIDGE.
TOM WALKER
Pig Bleecker
NEW YORK
@tomwalkercocktails
BRYAN NELSON
Bowen House
DALLAS
@bnelsonseven
SIMONE MIMS
Nico
SAN FRANCISCO
@simonemims
OTHON NOLASCO
Here & Now
LOS ANGELES
@mata.tu.sed
DUSTIN NGUYEN
Martina
MINNEAPOLIS
@dustinnguyen
SAMUEL GARCIA
Boleo
CHICAGO
@boleochicago
LINK
MBar
SEATTLE
@linkmanofmystery
PETER WALTERS
Park Distillery
BANFF
@parkdistillery
CHLOE FISHER
Rules & Regs
AUSTIN
@rulesandregsatx
STEVEN MINOR
Habitat
MIAMI
@habitatmiamibeach
PATRICK MURPHY
Mercantile
DENVER
@mercantiledenver
COMPETITIONS
THE TEQUILA INVITATIONAL
September 30th 2018
City Winery Chicago
Mexico’s ultra-premium tequila will take the spotlight in the first invitational punch showdown featuring the eleven notable finalists from 11 cities across U.S. and Canada. The invitational featuring El Tesoro as the base spirit will be held during the Cochon555 Grand Cochon in Chicago. Each barkeep will prepare an award-winning tequila inspired punch in hopes of winning the inaugural tequila edition of Punch Kings and passage to Mexico*.
THE BOURBON FINALE
January 11th, 2019
Breckenridge Distillery Colorado
Breckenridge Distillery, cheekily dubbed “The World’s Highest Distillery”, will host the 6th annual Punch Kings Finale, aptly named, “LAST CALL”. Breckenridge‘s award winning bourbon will take center place in each of the competing barkeeps’ recipes for this showdown. This is the culmination of the competitions that took place across North America this year where each of the 11 finalists will go for the gold...en gloves and title of Punch King/Queen.
*pending state regulations
