Post #755584 by AceExplorer on Fri, Dec 4, 2015 10:40 AM

I attended First Coast Magazine's "Toast of the Coast - Cheers to craft cocktails" event in Downtown Jacksonville last night with Tiki Teresa and it was great fun. While not "tiki" per se, there were many of the finest craft bartenders competing, along with a number who ARE into tiki and who display an array of Jeff Berry's books and mixology products in their bars.

The event featured craft cocktails along a seasonal "holiday" theme, and guests were asked to vote for their favorites. But that's not all -- the event organizers invited some of the finest restaurants in the Jax metro area to participate with free samples, some of which were quite large samples. Shrimp and grits, barbeque, tuna poke', and many more amazing food items complemented the offerings of mixologists from Orsay, Moxie, Dos Gatos, Grape & Grain Exchange, Taco Lu, and more.

The magazine partnered with Absolut Vodka for sponsorship, which concerned me a bit, but then I saw that there were some fine rums on the mixologists tables.

A brief write-up by the magazine, along with a number of recipes from the event, are available here:
http://firstcoastmagazine.com/news/toast-of-the-coast-2/

I took a few photos, but had my hands pretty full with food and drinks most of the evening. It was great fun, and next year I will make every effort to mention this event here well ahead of time.

I was once again reminded that even though a mixology event isn't "tiki," you can still learn a lot from others about mixology which will help you step up your game in your home bar.

Cheers!