Black Jack Inaugural Capital Cocktail Competition - February 17th - Looks Awesome

Black Jack Hosts Inaugural Mardi Gras Capital Cocktail Competition
 on Feb. 17th

Top area bartenders face off in secret ingredient challenge to benefit 
Black’s Family Foundation

Black Jack will host an inaugural Capital Cocktail Competition on Mardi Gras, an evening benefiting the Black’s Family Foundation that will pit eight teams of top bartenders from across the city against each other in a secret ingredient style challenge.

The judging panel will be comprised of

• Duane Sylvestre, lead bartender, Bourbon Steak DC, 
• Svetlana Legetic, founder, BrightestYoungThings.com
• Scott Drewno, regional executive chef, The Source by Wolfgang Puck. 

In addition to having the opportunity to sample auctioned drinks from each competing bar team, guests will enjoy a welcome cocktail, Mardi Gras-inspired passed bites including

• Freshly shucked Barren Island oysters compliments of Congressional Seafood, 
• BBQ pulled pork sandwiches on Addie's rolls, crawfish hushpuppies, 
• Black Jack’s signature duck nachos, and shrimp campeche from chef Colleen Conrad. 

Drink specials such as $2 pours of Abita Amber and Flying Dog, and $2 Bacardi hurricanes, both frozen and on the rocks, will also be available for purchase, in addition to Black Jack’s full bar menu.

Each bar team will be shown a secret ingredient, given two minutes to plan a cocktail and five minutes to execute two identical drinks. One cocktail will be judged by appearance, flavor and technique/creativity, while the other will be auctioned off to the crowd for charity. Drinks will be scored and a winner will be chosen to move to the next round until the 2015 Capital Cocktail Competition winner is crowned.

The line up of competing bar teams includes:

• D.J. Suan & Frank Manganiello, Black Jack/Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
• Noah Broaddus & Pete Sit, Café Saint Ex/Bar Pilar
• Torrence Swain & Rachel Vistica, Founding Farmers/Farmers Fishers & Bakers
• Jo-Jo Valenzuela & Bryan Tetorakis, Gypsy Soul
• Jason Strich & Mike Saccone, Hank's on the Hill
• Trevor Frye & Justin Hampton, Jack Rose
• Taha Ismail, Mike Isabella Concepts & Scotty Holland, Kapnos
• Christine Kim & Anthony Marlowe, TICO

Tickets can be purchased for $30, exclusive of tax and gratuity, through Eventbrite http://www.eventbrite.com/e/inaugural-capital-cocktail-competition-tickets-15429066754. All ticket purchases include entrance to Black Jack, which will be closed to non-ticket holders, drink specials, and complimentary passed bites. 
DJ Brandon Duff will be spinning for the duration of the event and bar manager E. Jay Apaga will emcee the festivities.

Tuesday February 17th from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Black Jack is located at 1612 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. 
It is Metro accessible from the Red and Yellow and Green lines, located five blocks from the U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Station, and six blocks East from the Q Street exit of the Dupont Circle Metro Station. For additional information about Black Jack call 202-319-1612, or visit http://www.blackjackdc.com/.