Shaken, not stirred: Espresso martinis take center stage during bartender competition
Speed, precision and tasty coffee cocktails were on the menu Monday during the “Good, Clean Fun” espresso martini competition at Wonderverse in Oak Brook.
Bartenders from the city and suburbs competed to make four espresso martinis as fast as they could and as cleanly as possible, hoping to land a spot in the finals with a chance to win a trip to Sweden.
The national competition was organized by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation and sponsored by Absolut Vodka and Kahlúa.
Bartenders were scored on speed, taste, presentation — including making sure they had the traditional three coffee bean garnish — and how clean the process was. Time penalties were tacked on for getting stains on their white shirts or the towel on which they built the drinks.
Two judges timed each competitor, tasted the drinks and watched for spills.
All the cocktails used the same recipe of 1.5 ounces of Absolut vodka, .75 ounces of Kahlúa coffee liqueur and .75 ounces of sweetened espresso.
Kathryn Arena of Villa Park, who works at fire + wine in Glen Ellyn, said she’s been bartending for 14 years, but it was her first time participating in a drinks competition.
“I just wanted to put myself out there, have a little fun,” she said.
She was the second of eight competitors Monday. She was a little cautious when pouring but loosened up and started feeling the music while shaking both of her mixing tins simultaneously, making sure to get the drink nice and foamy.
“I was a little nervous up there, so I was just like ‘I got this, I do this every night with a full bar’,” she said. “It was fun. Now I’m charged up and ready to head to work to make some more espresso martinis later.”
The competition at Wonderverse was one of 35 across the country and the second in the Chicagoland area. The 10 best times from locations in the eastern U.S. will advance to a championship in Nashville, while west coast winners will compete in Las Vegas.
The top three scorers from those championships will win an all-expenses paid trip to the Absolut Akademi experience in Åhus, Sweden.
Chicago bartender Julio Cepeda of Bisous took home an espresso machine for finishing with the fastest time during the Oak Brook event. He didn’t yet know if he’ll advance to the next round, but he was excited for the opportunity.
“I love competitions, and I would love to go up against the top dogs,” he said.
What about the possibility of going to Sweden?
“That would be great," Cepeda said. "But I would need to get a passport."