Appleton Rum Remixology Challenge at Blackbird Ordinary: Cocktails Set To Music

All photos by Laine Doss

Appleton Rum's Remixology competition challenged bartenders to combine rum and music.

What do you get when you ask some of Miami's best bartenders to set their cocktails to music? One entertaining evening filled with rum, costumes, music, and more than a little mayhem.

We're talking about the Appleton Estate Jamaica rum remixology bartender challenge, held at Blackbird Ordinary last evening. Five bartenders were challenged to create cocktails using Appleton rum, based on a favorite song. Mixologists were judged on creativity, taste, and performance. And there were some great performances -- and costumes. Competing bartenders included Nick Nistico (Soho Beach House); Richie Petronzi (Ocho at Soho Beach House); Robert Ferrara (The Dutch); Cricket Nelson (Clarke's); and Ben Clemons (No. 308 in Nashville).

This was the fourth regional remixology event, with competitions held earlier in New York, San Francisco, and Boston. The winner of each regional event will go on to compete in the finals in New York City on September 10th, where the grand prize winner will be crowned.

Each bartender was given two chances to impress judges John Lermayer, Josh Wagner, and Mike Parish with their mixology and performance skills. Using everything from bribery with $100 bills and lines of cocaine (we were assured neither was real) to threats of physical danger (with giant bloody knives and real syringes), each contestant went all out to put on a good show -- and make a great drink.

Cricket Nelson (Clarke's) got her '70s groove on with a cocktail inspired by "champagne, cocaine, and hedonism". Set to Sister Sledge's "We Are Family", Nelson enticed judges with a spin on a classic champagne cocktail garnished with $100 bills and lines of coke (both money and drugs were for "entertainment purposes only").