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Shaken and stirred:
May kicks off the Martini Mix-Off
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May is finally here. This means the start of some amazing weather, the end of yet another daunting semester, and-martinis?
The fourth annual May Martini Mix-Off is now under full swing. This now-beloved downtown Boise cocktail competition pits 12 upscale establishments against each other in a fight-to-the-death martini shake-off with a climactic award ceremony and decadent party at The Boise Art Museum on May 26th.
This year’s participants include Pair, Happy Fish, Ha’Penny Irish Pub, Tapas Estrella, The Milky Way, Bardenay, Red Feather Lounge, The Melting Pot, Reef, Koi, Mai Thai and The Piper Pub & Grill.
This is the second year swanky restaurant Pair is in the competition, and owner Christine Reid couldn’t be more excited.
“For Pair to win a 1st and 2nd place last year was more than we could have imagined. The public should look forward to our theme night May 18th and amazing cocktail creations,” Reid said.
She is also glad to see Boise becoming more of a metropolitan city. “The Martini Mix-Off represents the cultural awakening happening in Boise. Seattle hosts a similar event, every year, that has a tremendous following,” Reid said.
Boise can be a little slower to catch up to more urban trends, but Happy Fish manager and mix-off contestant Jeff Kempthorne believes that Boise’s palette is finally becoming more refined.
“The mix-off not only allows people to try the drinks at these 12 great places, but also the cuisine. People come into Happy Fish to use their mix-off ticket, a
To partake in this amazing month of fun, you can purchase a ticket book for $60 at any of the bars. You receive tickets for a free martini from all of the bars, plus entry to the final gala.
“This is the third year my friends and I have participated in the mix-off. It’s an excuse to go drinking every week and get away from our busy schedules for a little girl-on-girl time,” Jen Hamblin said, a recent BSU grad and legal assistant for a local litigation firm. “For the price, it’s also the best deal around. Getting 12 martinis for $60, plus getting to go to the party is amazing.”
“The mix-off is the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes hard work,” Addis Manley said, a visual artist for the mix-off. “But trying all the new drinks, and seeing how much fun it is for everyone involved makes it all worth it.”
Marcus Ogawa
Special to The Arbiter
