THE Colorado Cocktail....coming Monday!

Being a born-and-raised, die hard Coloradoan, plus a super cocktail nerd, I'm pretty excited about the idea that this Monday night, Colorado will FINALLY have an official cocktail. Up until this point the closest we had to a drink that represents our great state was the Colorado Bulldog, which is...ew. Bartender and Westword cocktail blogger Sean Kenyon put forth the challenge to local bartenders to mix up what they thought was a cocktail befitting the Centennial State.

The rules:

1. The base spirit (at least 1.5 oz.) must be produced in Colorado.

2. The drink has a maximum of 7 ingredients (includes garnish)

3. All ingredients must be readily available. No homemade ingredients.

4. Anyone submitting a nominee must be a bartender working in a Colorado restaurant.

Many stepped up to the challenge and now it's been narrowed down to just a handful who will compete this Monday at the Colorado Cocktail Project. They'll be announced tomorrow on Westword's Cafe Society page.

Sean and the COBG, the Distiller's Guild, Westword and the MCA combined forces to present two days celebrating Colorado's cocktail culture- the Colorado Cocktail Project June 26-27. Starting Sunday from noon - 6 there will be a marathon of cocktail lectures and a chance to taste a ton of Colorado spirits (including my delicious Montanya Rum- come by, say hi!). Then Monday night 5-9:30 you can throw your vote in for the best Colorado cocktail and find out which drink is the big winner.

I'll definitely be down at the MCA on Monday anticipating which amazing concoction will be certified and recognized as THE signature Colorado Cocktail. Join me?