Ready, Set, Pour
Dallas' top female bartenders pour them fast at Deep Ellum fundraising tournament
Texas' top female bartenders will be pouring straight and fast in Deep Ellum in January to take part in Dallas' first-ever Speed Rack competition — a global, all-female, speed-bartending tournament that raises money for breast cancer charities.
On January 14 at Life in Deep Ellum, bartenders will compete in timed heats to complete rounds of cocktails from a list of 50 classic recipes, and they'll be judged on their speed and accuracy. The winner will be crowned Miss Speed Rack Dallas, and she will be invited to compete in the national finals in New York in June.
The lady pourers hail from all over the state, but North Texas bars will be well-represented, with Simone Elizabeth Springer, Haydee Hernandez and Kiyoko Kinoshita from Midnight Rambler; Alexis Rolon from The Rustic; Nicole Marie DeGroot and Jenna De Long from Whiskey Cake in Plano; Jennifer Land from Urban Crust in Plano; and Kristy Drapiza, Ashley Nicole Helstrom and Alexandrea Rivera from The Ranch at Las Colinas.
Two of the four Texas judges hail from Dallas as well. FT33's owner and executive chef Matt McCallister and Midnight Rambler owner Chad Solomon join Austin's Chris Bostick of Half Step and Houston's Alba Huerta of Julep to determine which woman is the fastest in Texas.
The event is open to the public, and tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Speed Rack is in its fourth season and has so far raised more than $250,000 for breast cancer charities.