October 30th, 2015
Week three of the cocktail showdown featured the “Sonoma Sour” and the “Chocolate Covered Cherry” from Charles Smith at Porter Creek Hardwood Grille, “The King Edward” from Brady Johnson at The District Waterhouse and Kitchen, and “The Crackle Pop” and “The ‘ol Noggin” courtesy of Josh Hajek at Fargo Billiards and Gastropub.
Porter Creek Hardwood Grille
Porter Creek Hardwood Grille is located at 1555 44th St. S in Fargo. Having opened in June of this year, it is a…
October 22nd, 2015
Week two of the Cocktail Showdown included the finest creations of Charlie Dawson and Katelin Dailey at Rhombus Guys, Alison Buecksler at Dempsey’s, and Anthony Dub at The Green Mill.
Rhombus Guys
Located at 606 Main Avenue in Fargo, it offers an upbeat, hip, eclectic atmosphere featuring regional art, blending modern decor with the building’s original architectural features, plus all of the tables are covered in white paper, with crayons for all ages. Though…
October 14th, 2015
It’s the dawn of the seventh annual HPR cocktail showdown. With at least 30 participating bars seeking the same goal and asking the same question: Who makes the best drink in town? Where the drinks are stiff and the competition is stiffer. Three fearless judges enter the ring judging one shot and one cocktail at each establishment rating them 1-10 in three categories: presentation, flavor and creativity. It’s a tough job but…
October 14th, 2015
By Scott Motschenbacher
Cocktail -- what is a cocktail? What is the definition of cocktail? According to Wikipedia, on May 13, 1806, the editor of a local publication in Hudson, N.Y., defined it as such: “a potent concoction of spirits, bitters, water and sugar.” Has that definition stood the test of time? Personally, I say yes; I’m sure I would be battled on this by many drinkers, drunks, beer tenders, bartenders and contortionists. Send me an email, we’ll…
February 4th, 2015
The rising art of mixology will be on display when eight area bartenders gather together for a competition that will end with the crowning of the 2015 Mixologist of the Year.
The 2nd Annual Bartenders Battle will take place at the Avalon West (formerly The Venue) and it promises to result in bragging rights for whoever is crowned this year’s top of the lot.
The Bartenders Battle is a chance to recognize many of Fargo-Moorhead’s great bars and restaurants and reward them for their…
December 10th, 2014
After weeks of the grueling task of sampling the finest drinks and shots from the best bartenders at bars and restaurants of all types throughout Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo, the 6th Annual HPR Cocktail Showdown has come to an end. While the judges had varying opinions and tastes on the wide variety of contestants, the winners compiled the highest scores in categories of presentation, flavor and creativity.
All eight of the bartenders listed, including the runners up, have…
November 26th, 2014
We are in the final week of the 6th annual HPR Cocktail Showdown. Hard to believe but time flies when you are sampling some of the region’s finest drinks. Stay tuned in coming issues for the finalists from this year’s field and details on when and where they will face off to crown a winner for the finest drink and shot.
The drink: Ulfberht
The creator: Andrew Hardy
This take on an old fashioned was named after the Ulfberht sword (the term “Ulfberht” being an inscription…
November 19th, 2014
Week 4 of the Cocktail Showdown brought us to four different bars. From upscale to dive, all of them had their own charm. We are starting to near the end of the challenge. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for details on where and when the top vote getters will square off to see who can make the best shot and drink from this year’s contestants.
The shot: Cherry Popper
The creator: Lea Hanson
We kicked off this week at the legendary staple dive bar of downtown Fargo. Lea Hanson…
November 12th, 2014
The Shot: Chocolate Covered Strawberry
The Creator: Kyle Berglund
This dessert shot consists of muddled strawberries, Tito’s Vodka, crème de cacao and Godiva chocolate and white chocolate liqueurs. It is decorated with chocolate syrup drizzle in the glass and a fresh halved strawberry on the rim. Berglund said he was largely inspired by patrons’ high demand for something sweet after dinner but were too full for dessert. Hence, bringing to his imagination, the alcoholic and…
November 5th, 2014
The shot: Barry Manilow
The creator: Dirk Thiedeman
This shot features red Liquid Ice and blackberry brandy with a splash of blue Curacao Liqueur. When Rooter’s got the Liquid Ice in stock, Dirk set out to experiment and come up with a shot featuring it. The Barry Manilow is the result. He is pretty sure he found a winner with this concoction. With shots, definitely, sometimes less is more.
The drink: Tropical Kink
The creator: Dirk Thiedeman
Dirk challenged his other manager to…