Congratulations to the 2024 Winners

Congratulations to the Winners and all the Mixologists who participated in our 11th Annual Art of Mixology event!

Mixologist of the Year
Nicholas Valdez
Pete's Brass Rail & Carwash, Danville
Love & Separation (Table #2)

Second Place Mixologist
Ben Dimond
Bardo Lounge & Supper Club, Oakland
Doled Out (Table #10)

Third Place Mixologist
Kekoa Chung
Isola Osteria, Danville
Menta Basillico (Table #8)

Audience Favorite: Cocktail
Guiseppe Alagna
Benvenuti, Walnut Creek
The Grand (Table #4)

Audience Favorite: Mocktail
Tony DeMartile
The Empress (Table #12)

Top Amateur Mixologist
Matthew Taul
The Tzatziki (Table #5)

Art of Table Staging Award
Charles McPhail
Clockwork Elixir (Table #1)

Thank you to all the 2020 participating mixologists: Julie McCormick (@ravendark_cocktails), Nichole Reilly (Fourth Bore), Priscilla Nzessi (Amateur Mixologist), Seth Thurman (Casa Orinda), and Shweta Srivastava (Amateur Mixologist).

Congratulations to the 2023 Winners

Congratulations to Winners and all the Mixologists who participated in our 10th Annual Art of Mixology event!

Mixologist of the Year
Maxwell Freise
Wildseed, San Francisco
Trippin to Manhattan (table #2)

Second Place
Giuseppe Alagna
Benvenuti, Walnut Creek
Sumpathy for Nature (table #8)

Third Place
Bells Hellman
Bardo Lounge & Supper Club, Oakland
Super Sun (table #14)

Audience Favorite
Cynthia Songco
Casa Orinda, Orinda
Snow Way It's Fall Already (table #13)

Home Crafted Cocktail Award (Top Amateur)
Spencer Padgett, Danville
Ahead of the (Bell) Curve (table #5)

Art of Table Staging Award
Jeremy Schlachter
Canyon Club Brewery, Moraga
Sandlot Treehouse Old Fashioned (table #6)

Thank you to participating bartenders: Neel Karan Banga (Saffron), Ivan Gonzalez (@ig_on_ig_mixology), Eric Gonzalez (@tinitime_), Natasha Hart (Fourth Bore), Nathan Hijar (The Forge), Cole Giffin (Arena Mobile Bar), Hailey Coder (Brix & Craft), David Smejdir (Metro Lafayette), Nicholas Madrona (Independent Professional)

2020 Winners

Click HERE to view a replay of the live online Awards Show, emceed by Justin Cole of Joy in Motion! The event was held virtually, and the winners' fabulous craft cocktails were turned into Art of Mixology Cocktail Kits to make at home.

1st Place, Mixologist of the Year - Two Faced by Hailey Coder, Bar Cava, Martinez

2nd Place - Betty's 7pm by Sadé Stamps, Sobre Mesa, Oakland

3rd Place - Smog In The Noggin by Ben Dimond, Bardo Lounge & Supper Club, Oakland

4th Place - Chipotle Bloody Mary by Mike Whipple, Canyon Club Brewery, Moraga

Audience Award - Fall'ifornia Dreamin' by Brian Gamble, Independent Mixologist

2019 Winners

Congratulations to Winners and all the Mixologists who participated in our Sixth Annual Art of Mixology event

Mixologist of the Year

Casey Carr

Batch and Brine

So-Shu Think You Can Dance

Second Place
Phillip McElvain
Grand Lake Kitchen
A Plum Dream

Third Place
Vincenzo Piccione
Benvenuti Ristorante
Roman Garden

Home Crafted Cocktail Award
Lily Gonzalez
Rainarita

Audience Favorite
Vincenzo Piccione
Benvenuti Ristorante
Roman Garden

Art of Table Staging Award
Phillip McElvain
Grand Lake Kitchen
A Plum Dream

2018 Winners

Congratulations to Winners and all the Mixologists who participated in our Fifth Annual Art of Mixology event!

Mixologist of the Year
Arthur Valderrama
When Worlds Collide
Barranco Kitchen and Bar

Second Place
Roberto Rizo
Standing Ovation
Self Employed @CantineRob

Third Place
Dennis Hoagland
Killing Cliché
Barrel Aged

Top Amateur
BlackBerry Basil Margarita
Lily Gonzalez

Audience Favorite
Ryan Wehrenberg
Mai Mai Mai
Park Bistro and Bar

Art of Table Staging Award
Eric Gonzalez
Agua De Sandía
Self-employed: @TiniTime

2017 Winners

Congratulations to Winners and all the Mixologists who participated in our Fourth Annual Art of Mixology event!

Mixologist of the Year
Portia Battistini
Hops N Apricots
The Cooperage American Grille

Second Place
Dennis Hoagland
Sweet November
Parada

Third Place
Ryan Wehrenberg
The Beekeeper
Lafayette Park Bistro & Bar

Audience Favorite
Ryan Wehrenberg
The Beekeeper
Lafayette Park Bistro & Bar

Home Crafted Cocktail Winner
Eric Gonzalez
Mangonada Madness

Art of Table Staging
Carolynn Lara
Sour Bore
The Fourth Bore Taproom and Grille

2016 Bartenders

Below are the professional and amateur bartenders that participated in the 2016 Art of Mixology craft cocktail competition held on October 8, 2016 at Orinda Theatre Square.

Table	Name	Venue	Status
1	Dean Bever	Casa Orinda	Professional
2	Nonna Titulauri	Hakkasan SF	Professional
3	Johnny Vasicek	Home Connoisseur	Amateur
4	Rachael Kruse	Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse	Audience Favorite
5	John Schreiner	Forge	Professional
6	Paige McHale	Yankee Pier	Professional
7	Gil Batzri	Home Connoisseur	Amateur
8	Sara Sakurada	Zaytoon	Professional
9	Kyle Tran	The Lafayette Park Bistro & Bar	Mixologist - 2nd Place
10	Arash Palzad	Barrel Aged	Professional
11	Lauren Kelsch	Fourth Bore	Professional
12	Sharon Zezima	Home Connoisseur	Amateur
14	Derek Zemrak	Cine Cuvee	Amateur
15	Ryan Wehrenberg	The Cooperage American Grille	Mixologist of the Year
16	Shweta Srivastava	Home Connoisseur	Home Crafted Cocktail Winner
17	Emma Macpherson	Dan’s Sports Bar	Professional
18	Peter Eberle	Piccolo Napoli	Professional
19	Megan Abraham	Rooftop	Mixologist - 3rd Place, Art of Table Staging Winner
20	Tyler Petersen	Home Connoisseur	Amateur
21	Carmen Barclay	Corners Tavern	Professional
22	Griffin Henning	Telefèric Barcelona	Professional
23	Carlos Rangel	Shelby’s	Professional
24	Brandon Breining	Table 24	Professional

2015 Bartenders

Below are the talented bartenders and their concoctions from last year's Art of Mixology craft cocktail competition held on October 10, 2015 at Orinda Theatre Square.

Table Number	Name	Bar/Restaurant	Craft Cocktail Name	Voting Results
1	Timothy Lacy	Table 24	Jalapeño Cucumber Paloma	Art of Table Staging Winner
2	Eric Jorgensen	Amateur	Bacon Bloody Mary
3	Brian Burke	Hutch Bar and Kitchen	BERKLEONI (a.k.a. C.T.B.)
4	Tim Northcutt	Casa Orinda	Western Outlaw
5	Cynthia Lasky	Amateur	Not Your Mother's Margarita
6	Peter Eberle	Piccolo Napoli	Piccolo Baci Aka "Little Kiss"	Audience Favorite
7	Alexander Caban	Bergerac	Donkey Hong	Mixologist - 3rd Place
8	Robert McGurie	T's Firehouse	Kentucky Buck
9	Diana Petralia	The Cooperage American Grille	Pumpkin Spiced Coffee	Mixologist - 2nd Place
10	Cindy Powell	Amateur	Holiday Punch
11	Pilar Vree	Penrose	Narcocorrido #9
12	Tammy Hagans	Bergerac	Cameo
13	Angela Bitondo	Barbacoa	Raspberry Mango Smash
14	Brenden Taylor	Barbacoa	Gallagher
15	Drew Johnston	Amateur	Nog-Blanco
16	Amy Jeter	Amateur	Sneaky Dog
17	Julie Feigenson	Yankee Pier	Sage Advice
18	Kyle Tran	The Lafayette Park Hotel	Daughter of the Devil	Mixologist of the Year
20	Ashley Dobson	Forge	Lady Frank
21	Zac Crim	Corners Tavern	White Orchard
22	Sharon Zezima	Amateur	New Fashioned	Home Crafted Cocktail Winner