2 Corridor Restaurants Were Big Winners at the Cocktail Classic

Restaurants in Downtown Cedar Rapids and Uptown Marion took home the top awards at the 2022 Cocktail Classic!

Tuesday night (May 24th), bourbon lovers from all over the Corridor came together at NewBo City Market for their annual Cocktail Classic. The event features "elite local mixologists" as they compete for the coveted Best Cocktail and People's Choice awards. This year, all of the beverages were made from Cedar Ridge's Iowa Bourbon Whiskey.

All together, there were ten Corridor restaurants that competed this year. Those restaurants are:

• The Map Room, Cedar Rapids
• the hip-stir, Marion
• The Webster, Iowa City
• Black Sheep Social Club, Cedar Rapids
• Tin Roost, North Liberty
• Tribute Eatery & Bar, Coralville
• LP Street Food, Cedar Rapids
• Caucho, Cedar Rapids
• Cobble Hill Restaurant, Cedar Rapids
• Crosby's, Cedar Rapids

The big winner of the night was the Map Room, who was named the 2022 Cocktail Classic Champion by a panel of local judges. According to the Map Room's Facebook page, the winning drink is called The Voyage, and contains brown butter washed Cedar Ridge bourbon, Ilegal Mezcal Reposado, Kronan Swedish Punsch, orgeat, rooibos masala chai, pineapple, orange, and cardamom bitters. If you want to give it a try, it will be available to order at the restaurant for the next few weeks.

The People's Choice winner was the hip-stir in Marion, whose head bartender Caleb Scales has actually won the award for the past three years! He is now a four-time champion!

We have some amazing local restaurants here in the Corridor, and this competition is just more proof of that. Be sure to check out one of this year's competitors the next time you plan a night out!