When it comes to a timeless American whiskey cocktail like the Old Fashioned, the iconic brand Elijah Craig is a perfect choice. Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon’s pleasant spice notes, delicate smoke, and lingering richness are a natural fit for the spirit-forward recipe.
For their second annual Old Fashioned Cocktail Contest, Elijah Craig and VinePair teamed up to challenge bartenders around the country to some good “old fashioned” fun. Contestants were tasked with creating unique twists on the Old Fashioned recipe using Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon or Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey as the cocktail’s base.
Out of hundreds of submissions, the five finalists below were chosen for their thoughtful and innovative recipes. On Feb. 26, 2025, they will head to Kentucky where they will compete in a live competition finale. Read on to meet the contenders and learn more about what inspired their creations, potentially destined to become classics themselves.
The Bartender: Simon Banks
Cocktail: Fortune Teller
Simon Banks’ introduction to bartending began at a dive bar in Louisville, but working in Denver’s burgeoning craft cocktail scene in 2014 further cemented his interest. “That was a really great time to enter the craft scene, and I’ll never forget those first few years of reading books recommended by peers and bosses, watching countless hours of Tales of the Cocktail seminars, and getting familiar with aperitifs, amari, and liqueurs,” he recalls.
Drawing inspiration from his culinary background, Banks views building a cocktail akin to developing a dinner menu, with attention to “how flavors play on the front, middle, and finish of the palate.” He believes a well-crafted cocktail should take you on a journey, describing his cocktail, the Fortune Teller, similarly: “At first sip [it] feels like a ginger snap cookie, but develops over time as the Henomi Cha rice-washed water ice cube dilutes into the cocktail,” which results in a creamy-like texture. “The cocktail starts heavy and spicy from the Chinese five spice, and blooms into a soft cherry and lemon cake, of sorts, by the last sip,” he adds.
Banks says getting this far in the competition feels really good. “It’s always nice when the universe and others shine some light on why you continue to polish the metaphorical swords. I’m just thankful, honored, and thrilled to be one of the five,” he says.
The Bartender: Armando Garza
Cocktail: Corn & Fire
Originally from Brownsville, Texas, Armando Garza worked at a beachfront resort before landing a bartending gig at a local restaurant with an ambitious cocktail program. An encouraging boss helped ignite his interest in a career in bartending.
As a head bartender in Austin, Garza says he likes to consider the stories behind drinks. “I’m more worried about the subjective, ‘How did this drink make you feel?’ and, ‘What did it remind you of?’” he says. “The whole reason I love bartending is for the stories.”
Pulling from his own childhood memories and Hispanic roots, Garza sought the use of familiar flavors like those found in hot chocolate and hibiscus tea for his take on the Old Fashioned, noting how they complement the classic American spirit. “My roasted corn hibiscus syrup pairs perfectly with the smokiness and sweetness of the bourbon.,” he says. “The grilled corn was a no-brainer for sweetness and smoke, the hibiscus was a nice touch to bring some acidity. Falernum and mole bitters provide a backbone of subtle spice.”
While it won’t be his first visit to Kentucky, Garza is excited to head back to the state to meet his fellow competitors, judges, and the Elijah Craig team. “I feel like competitions bring out the best in our industry, so I’m just excited to see it all play out and be part of it,” he says.
The Bartender: Bridget Ramsey
Cocktail: Follow the Corn Silk Road
Bridget Ramsey started working in restaurants during high school; but after moving to New York City for college, and taking a job at one of the city’s fine-dining institutions, she quickly realized that a full-time career in the hospitality industry was the path for her. Ramsey credits her time spent working at Manhattan cocktail bar mainstays for refining her creativity and view that “the conceptualization of cocktails can go far beyond combining ingredients in a glass.”
Drawing on a minimalist style and her family connection to the Midwest, her riff on the Old Fashioned was crafted to focus on a singular ingredient: corn. “Follow the Corn Silk Road is meant to showcase the incredible diversity of corn as an ingredient in cocktails,” she says. “It is whiskey-forward with light tropical notes from chicha morada, a distinct savoriness from miso and corn silk tea, and a hint of smoke on the finish — a signature note of Elijah Craig Small Batch.”
Ramsey says being a finalist in the competition means a lot to her. “Like many bartenders, one of the first drinks I learned how to make was an Old Fashioned, so being recognized for my take on this classic by such an iconic brand as Elijah Craig is something I am very grateful for,” she adds.
The Bartender: Devin Ballard
Cocktail: Ogun’s Blessing
For native Washington, D.C., resident Devin Ballard, a job in coffee was his first experience in the world of hospitality, before becoming a bartender over five years ago. Today, Ballard shakes up cocktails in his hometown where he says he likes to draw inspiration from Afrocentric and Japanese cultures when dreaming up new recipes.
When creating Ogun’s Blessing, Ballard drew inspiration from an Aztec fire ceremony, as well as Japanese and African tales of fire and renewal. “I chose fire as a starting point because I love the symbolism behind breaking things down and allowing things to be reborn amidst the ash.” he says. This symbolism has a through-line in the cocktail’s flavors, with “red fruit and juicy flavors upfront [that lead] into nuanced hints of smoke, bitterness, and nuttiness towards the finish.”
Ballard says community has always been a driving factor in what catapulted him into bartending. “I’m excited to get a chance to build new connections with creative and like-minded people,” he says. “Being a finalist is equal parts shocking and exciting, and feels like a huge milestone in my bartending journey. It means a lot to be recognized alongside the other finalists, and to have an opportunity to share my ideas and vision with an audience outside of D.C.”
The Bartender: Courtney Moy
Cocktail: Good in My City
As a Boston-based bartender, and the owner of a cocktail pop-up bar, Courtney Moy has been mixing drinks in her native city for six years now. A romantic at heart, she says that making cocktails is how she channels her passion. “I love to stir a little mischief and romance into everything. I pull a lot of inspiration from my love for film, music, memories in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother, and my upbringing in Boston,” she says.
Her Chinese-American take on the Old Fashioned, Good in My City, is a “cheeky wink and nod to the muddled fruit concoctions that were popularized after Prohibition.” The whiskey is “fruit-washed” with a powder made of Chinese Haw Flake candy — a favorite childhood snack of Moy’s that she calls “pure joy” — along with mandarin peels and dried cherries. The resulting cocktail is “a love letter to my roots and my playful, technique-driven approach to making cocktails,” she adds.
Moy says she’s looking forward to showcasing her passion and representing Boston and her culture in the live competition. “This industry is full of creative and passionate hard workers that put out that love day in and day out. I’m humbled and very much looking forward to shaking it up with some of the most creative and talented bartenders across the country,” she says.
This article is sponsored by Elijah Craig.
