🎃 FOUR TEAMS. TWELVE BARTENDERS. ONE HAUNTED NIGHT.

Kendall Bartelheim

Oct 17

2 min read

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Add a cocktail competition with Jose and Ammon on my team, and you’ve got my attention.

On Sunday, October 25, we’re competing in Shadows of the Lost Lore, presented by Quenchpress at Ocotillo / Sidecar Social Club in Phoenix.

Four teams. Twelve bartenders. A Battle of the Pop-Ups. And a $600 cash prize on the line.

If you’ve been following Saints & Spirits through the recipes, reels and weekly R&D, this is a chance to come see another side of what I do.

Shadows of the Lost Lore event flyer: Sunday, October 25, 6–10 PM, Ocotillo / Sidecar Social Club; four teams, twelve bartenders and a $600 cash prize. — Shadows of the Lost Lore, presented by Quenchpress.

🍸 THREE BARTENDERS, ONE TEAM

This time, I’m teaming up with Jose and Ammon.

A team competition brings more to the table than one person’s cocktail. You have different ideas, different perspectives and the challenge of bringing everything together into an experience that makes sense across the bar.

The drink matters. So does how you present it, how you work together and how people feel when they walk up to your station.

Bartender in a red-and-black plaid shirt pours into a jigger at an Agave Wars competition, beneath a screen showing the workstation. — A moment from a past Agave Wars competition.

🧪 WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE THE COMPETITION

The finished drink is only one part of the story.

If you’ve read my R&D posts, you know there’s plenty of testing before a cocktail makes the menu. Adjusting sweetness. Finding the right amount of acidity. Figuring out whether a garnish adds something or just gets in the way.

Competition prep puts those decisions under a different spotlight. A cocktail needs to look good, taste balanced and work when it’s time to serve it.

A beautiful drink gets your attention. The first sip has to keep it.

Bartender in a red-and-black plaid shirt shakes a cocktail behind the Agave Wars bar, with an overhead view of the station on a large screen. — Behind the bar at Agave Wars.

🕸️ WE’RE KEEPING A FEW SECRETS

Shadows. Lost lore. Halloween.

There’s plenty of inspiration there, but I’m saving the full cocktail reveal for another moment. For now, consider this your invitation to meet us on the other side of the bar.

Come say hello, support the team and see what the other bartenders bring to the battle. Getting involved in this community is a big part of why I love what I do.