The Virginia Cocktail Games
Let the Cocktail Games Begin!
Welcome to the 2025 Virginia Cocktail Games, a competition that celebrates Virginia’s bartending community and local distilleries. After advancing through a competitive submission process, 22 bartenders competed in the regional, digital round of voting. Each bartender crafted a unique cocktail that pays tribute to a “hidden gem” location or area and features a Virginia spirit produced in their region.
Meet the Competitors and Their Cocktails
Meet the CocktailsDigital, Regional Round 1 Results
After a tight race, these five bartenders and their cocktail creations rose to the top, earning gold in round 1:
🏅 Notorious F.I.G by Shannon Dunbar-Wilson, The Barrel House at Sandy River Distillery | Central Va.
🏅 Drift Flower by Ken Howe, Wang Jiang Lou | Coastal Va.
🏅 Honeycrisp by Dan Kurzenknabe, Vault & Cellar | Northern Va.
🏅 Fog on the New by Zoey Blankenship, Palisades Restaurant | Southern Va.
🏅 Virginia Sunryes by Christa Marie Thomas, The Omni Homestead Resort and Spa | Western Va.
Join Us at the Finals
Our five region winners will compete for the top spot at Virginia Distilled this September 13 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. Sip inventive new cocktails from the finalists and vote for your favorite. The top winner will be determined through a combination of popular votes and scores from a panel of judges, with the results revealed live!