In New Mexico’s first year to participate in the Arizona Cocktail Week Last Slinger Standing Competition. Andrew Roy of Radish & Rye won the grand prize and brought home the trophy to New Mexico.
Team New Mexico: David Hernandez, Chris Milligan, Andrew Roy, Natalie Bovis, Andrew Gilbert, Michael Sebree (not pictured)
The competition included 16 bartenders from Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. Each round was a best 2 out of three single elimination strictly on the taste of a cocktail. Seconds before each round 2 bartenders were given a previously undisclosed base spirit and modifier and had 6 minutes to present 3 equivalent cocktails the the judges which included Andy Seymour, Bobby Gleason and Ian Burrel.
With many heavy hitting bartenders in the mix, the competition was tough for all.
Andrew began his career in the bar business while attending St John’s College and was pulled from waiting tables and put behind the bar as a fill in bar back. He enjoyed the shift so much that he asked to stay on. Soon after Andrew trained as a bartender, and the rest is history