Cows & Cocktails
The Second Annual Southern Sips Bartender Competition, hosted by Munyon’s Paw-Paw at Jupiter Creamery, was a total blast! There were cute farm animals everywhere, plus plenty of libations, of course (bourbon, whiskey, vodka, rum, tequila…). Read on to find out what went down—and who took home the W.
When some of my favorite things come together in one incredible event, of course I’m going. So when I was invited to Southern Sips earlier this week (Monday, April 27), I headed to Jupiter Farms for what I knew would be a good time. Sipping cocktails on a farm among fun people and cute animals? Yes, please!
The event launched last year, the brainchild of Joe Colucci and Paul Massey—the founders of Munyon’s Paw-Paw. The concept: local bartenders representing different distilleries craft unique, themed cocktails that must incorporate Munyon’s Paw-Paw in some way. If you haven’t yet tried MPP, it’s a delicious aperitif made with natural botanicals that has both hints of tropical sweetness and subtle tones of spiciness. It’s tasty all on its own, but it’s also fantastic as a mixer in all sorts of cocktails.
They found the perfect venue to host the event: Jupiter Creamery. Have you been? It’s a 10-acre homestead in Jupiter farms, where owner Suzie Dudas has animals like goats, chickens, and cows (which produce the raw milk, cream, and butter she sells). She also lets her space out for private events like birthday parties and weddings. All proceeds from Southern Sips went to her charity, Nourishing Food for Thought.
It’s a stunning farm, and the event began just in time to catch the early evening glow of the sun illuminating everything into pure magic. When I walked up the dirt road to where the event was, everything was already in full swing. The music was going, people were imbibing, and the animals were animaling. I caught up with a few friends who were there and got down to business: tasting the cocktails so I could pick my favorite. Tough work.
There were four distilleries there that were part of the competition: Weber Ranch Vodka, Revenge Rum, El Bandido Yankee Tequila, and bourbon and whiskey from St. Augustine Distillery. At each cocktail stand, a bartender was slinging drinks they created using the spirit plus Munyon’s Paw-Paw. I (slowly) sipped on mini cocktails from all, drinking in the bartenders’ presentations, creativity, and talent. They were all sooooo good.
All the while, there were “secret” judges milling about who would decide on a winner. And guess who one of these mystery judges was revealed to be? None other than Flavor South Florida CEO Kerri Paizzi! Okay, maybe I knew she was a judge all along, but the bartenders certainly didn’t haha. Once everyone had a chance to try everything, the winner was revealed: Elizabeth Lee-ann Williams (bartender at Stage Kitchen and owner of Bizzy by the Sea catering and cocktails) took the prize for the cocktails she crafted for El Bandido Yankee Tequila! (Congrats, darlin’!)
Shout out to all the other bartenders who made it to the finals at Southern Sips: Mac McConnell, who mixed for Weber Ranch Vodka; Luce Cadet, repping Revenge Rum; and Bryce Dangerfield, who crafted for St. Augustine Distillery. A big thanks also to the food vendors and sponsors for helping to make this such a fantastic event!
Naturally, Flavor South Florida got everything on film—click here to view a fun reel of the festivities. You an also check out my personal snaps from the night here. And see Kerri’s “judge take” on the night here!