Heads up, BUSTies! Speed Rack is an amazing bartending competition and breast cancer fundraiser coming to NYC, and this is your cheat sheet for everything you should know about the event. Enjoy!
Five Things You Need To Know About Speed Rack
From Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix, Co-Founders of Speed Rack
- What is Speed Rack?
The service industry can sometime be thought of as a man’s world. With Speed Rack, which we founded in February of 2011, we have been able to shine a spotlight on female mixologists thriving behind bars around the country, and while we are at it, raise money for breast cancer research, education, and prevention. Speed Rack was created as a cocktail competition for the ladies -one that celebrated women, was created by women and supported women, in and out of the spirits industry. Speed Rack has raised over $250,000 in 3 years. We are currently in our 4th year and NYC is our home court!
2) What are the Speed Rack Competitions like?
It is the roller derby of cocktail competitions, or what we like to call the March Madness of boobies and booze. The Women are challenged to recreate the work they do on the busiest nights working in a cocktail bar. It’s as if you were working service bar, making drinks for the entire bar, and four people you really admire come in and each order a closet cocktail. You have to make them as quickly, accurately and excellently as possible.
3) Who will be there?
Speed rack events tend to be the Who’s Who of the cocktail and culinary industry. Attendees will include New York City’s best mixologists, as well as pastry chefs, sous chefs and culinary and cocktail critics, including judges Julie Reiner, Dave Wondrich and Steve Olson. The event also attracts people who support the fight against breast cancer. It’s an amazing mix a group of people all cheering on what’s happening on stage and the girls were competing.
4) What kind of cocktails should you be drinking this week to prepare for watching Speed Rack?
Brush up on your classics! Speed rack is a competition asking the women to know the building blocks of cocktails. Classics are classics for a reason and we want everyone to know them! We recommend going to your local cocktail bar and ordering a classic cocktail so you can be in the know what the girls have to do. Try a Beefeater Negroni, a Bacardi Hemmingway, a 4 Roses Lion’s tail, or an Auchetshan Rob Roy!
5) Where is the next competition and why you should go?
The next event is in Brooklyn at the Music Hall of Williamsburg this Sunday December 14th, starting at 3:00pm. To purchase tickets, click here! Spectators get to watch the tense competition, cheer on their favorite women bartenders from their favorite bars, and taste delicious punches from top spirits companies. It is also a charity event, so you know the money you spend goes directly to breast cancer charities. It’s a win-win! For $25 you get to drink, snack, cheer and help put an end to breast cancer.
Additional information can be found on the Speed Rack website www.speed-rack.com, on Facebook http://www.facebook/speedrackinfo and on Twitter @speed_rack.
Check out the antics at last year’s regional heats in the video below!
You can also view the season 4 kick-off in Washington DC
The 2014 -2015 tour is filmed videos by Le JIT Productions with event execution by Double Barrel Consulting.
Be sure to check out all the amazing, booze-fueled action this weekend and support your neighborhood drink-slingin’ ladies!
images c/o: sfstation.com, boozeforbabes.com
