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, we have proudly selected 22 bartenders to compete in the Cocktail Games with a uniquely crafted cocktail that pays tribute to a “hidden gem” location or area and features a Virginia spirit produced in their region.
Voting Open August 5-19
Now through Tuesday, August 19, you are invited to vote daily for your favorite bartender and cocktail creations. Each time you cast your vote, you’ll be able to see where your favorite cocktails and bartenders stand in the race!
Your votes from the digital regional round will determine who advances to round 2 of the Cocktail Games, an in-person competition which will be hosted at Virginia Distilled, an event held at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on September 13. There, our 5 finalists will battle it out for the top spot as the winner of the 2025 Virginia Cocktail Games.
Competition Theme: Off the Beaten Path
Everyone has a favorite spot—whether it’s a hiking trail, seaside view, neighborhood or local business. This year, we’ve challenged competing bartenders to capture the essence of their favorite Virginia “hidden gem” through original cocktails that reflect its flavor and presentation.
Before You Vote: Meet the Competitors and Their Cocktails
Meet the CocktailsCentral Virginia
Shenandoah Shrub-berryMartin O'Donnell, Bar Botanical
When the serendipity of stumbling across a mulberry bush evolves into your favorite summer cooler, you can't help but feel like a kid again, discovering a wild berry patch. Featuring Cirrus Vodka.
Grackle JamNick Crutchfield, Fanboy
Virago Spirits Kali Hibiscus Gin meets Iberian bittersweet aperitivo, topped with Japanese yuzu effervescence and muddled VA blackberries. A highball built for late summers and wanderers with roots.
Sign Says ONAndrew Ball, Emmy Squared
An elegant bourbon cask Virginia Single Malt mingles with cola and salted peanuts in this tribute to a neighborhood dive where stories run deep and the ABC sign says "ON." Features Virginia Distillery Company Courage and Conviction Bourbon Cask.
Farm Stand ColadaCody Dunavan, Shenandoah Mansions
What happens if you show up at the farm stand with a bottle each of Virginia rum and apple brandy? Break out the blender and get tropical with the Farm Stand Colada! Featuring Laird's Apple Brandy 100 Proof and Virago Spirits 151 Rum.
Notorious F.I.GShannon Dunbar-Wilson, The Barrel House at Sandy River Distillery
Notorious F.I.G. celebrates the wealth of fresh produce in Virginia, where taking a detour off the main road, through the Commonwealth's farms and orchards can inspire your next amazing cocktail. Featuring Sandy River Distillery 1854 High Bridge Rye Whiskey.
Coastal Virginia
Let Me Take You DownChristine Gregory, Fin Seafood
It's not summertime in Hampton Roads without the flavor of sun-drenched strawberries. This cocktail is a porch sipper for strawberry-tinged sunsets and hot summer nights. Featuring Ironclad Small Batch Bourbon.
Beachy PeachSara Albert, Ocean Eddie's Seafood Restaurant
Organic vodka and peaches go together like summer and beaches. One sip of this Beachy Peach, and you'll swear you can hear the waves crashing on the shore. Featuring Waterman Spirits Organic Vodka.
Mermaids’ PagodaPhil Morrison, Vang Go Bistro
Local bourbon and gin find a friendly harbor with coastal ingredients, spicy ginger beer, and mellow oolong tea syrup in this celebration of one of Norfolk's beloved seaside attractions. Featuring Reverend Spirits Bourbon.
Drift FlowerKen Howe, Wang Jiang Lou
Seductive and sweet floral essences waft on the briny sea breeze in this tropical ode to the sculpted natural beauty of Redwing Park in Virginia Beach. Featuring Waterman Spirits Organic Vodka.
Northern Virginia
HoneycrispDan Kurzenknabe, Vault & Cellar
Honeycrisp commemorates a first date at an apple orchard. Perfumed with the aromas and flavors of Fall, this nostalgic dram is a celebration of time and the gifts it endows. Featuring KO Distiller's Reserve Bottled-in-bond Rye Whiskey.
Where The Wild Things AreShenan Hahn, The Catamount Lounge
Raise your hand if you knew that prickly pears are native to Virginia! Enjoy this and other landcrafted flavors in this tribute to the Commonwealth's forests, fields, and pollinators. Featuring Copper Fox Chestnut American Whisky.
Sunburnt MemoryErica Brown, Vault & Cellar
When things heat up, how do you chill out? This melon-infused whiskey cooler has a spicy side, but it just might spark some of your best sunburnt memories. Featuring Catoctin Creek Hot Honey Rye.
Rosé All DayBrandon McDermott, Captain Gregorys
When life gets hectic, what's the solution? Put a big, beautiful river between you and the city, pop some bubbly, grab some snacks and Rosé All Day. A. Smith Bowman Distillery Tinkerman's Gin.
Creekwater RevivalJulieta Hernandez, The Catamount Loungue
Shenandoah is a land of hot summers and cool creeks. Creekwater Revival explores these extremes, balancing spicy rye grain and chili against cooling juniper and cucumber, with a citrusy, floral bouquet. Featuring Catoctin Creek Watershed Gin.
Southern Virginia
Creekside CrusherZane Triplett, Foresta
A little sweet, a little sour, and made with six ingredients found only in nature. The Creekside Crusher is a frosty, honey-drizzled, Virginia flavor bomb with a tropical twist. Featuring Virginia Frost Vodka.
Fog on the NewZoey Blankenship, Palisades Restaurant
At sunrise over an ancient river called the "New," opposites attract: clear and frothy, smoky and fresh, deep and bright. Sink into this complex sipper and let the layers unfold. Featuring JH BARDS Sinking Creek Vodka.
Tiamat’s CalmZachary Corona, Rivermill Bar and Grill (future)
On a dreamy springtime stroll around Pandapas Pond, flowers bloom like dragon heads. Floral and tangy botanicals yield a cocktail that sparkles like the prize gem in a dragon's hoard. Featuring Highland Distilling Dragon Navy Strength Gin.
Western Virginia
Holler and CoveBrandon Sweetenberg, Lucky
Inspired by Hollins and Carvins Cove. In these woods, you'll encounter earthy, bitter roots, fragrant blossoms, and radiant fruits. The trick is knowing where to look. Featuring Twin Creeks Peg Hatcher Whisky.
Virginia SunryesChrista Marie Thomas, The Omni Homestead Resort and Spa
A New York Sour journeys through Virginia wine country on its way to a creekside camping getaway. What kind of sweet, smoky stories are shared around the fire there? Featuring Filibuster Dual Cask Rye.
This Too Shall PassKaren Baxter, Blu Point Seafood Co.
Time flows like a river, but with the right ingredients, you can slow it down. Coffee, whiskey, tobacco, and maple carve out a sacred space of deep kinship and enjoyment. Featuring Filibuster Bourbon.
Follow My MeadRachel Kidd, Sidecar
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a portal to the past. A land of whiskey and wildflowers, yes, but with some smoke and salt. Each sip leads you farther afield. Featuring Brady's Distillery Accomplice Bourbon Whiskey.
Bread ServiceMeghan Kramer, Blu Point Seafood Co.
Bread Service is a gesture of hospitality drenched in Shenandoah flavors and aromas. When you're here, the cornbread is sweet and the blackberries and cream flow plentiful. Featuring Filibuster Bourbon.