Deadwood Mountain Grand will crown the second ever South Dakota State Bartending Champion during the City’s annual Forks, Corks & Kegs Festival April 7 & 8.
The event, slated for Saturday, April 8th beginning at noon will feature State champions in ‘Flair’, ‘Original Cocktail Recipe’ that will feature Pendleton Whiskey and ‘Overall’ with over $3,000 in cash and prizes for the best in South Dakota.
Participants will be judged in each category by professional flair bartenders from ‘5280 Flair’ based out of Colorado as well as crowd judging. Friendliness, style, creativity, technique, showmanship and ability to complete a task in a given time will all be factors included in the competition.
“We were thrilled with the turnout we had last year,” said Susan Kightlinger, Resort Manager at Deadwood Mountain Grand. “We think it’s going to be a lot of fun for spectators and participants alike and will continue to grow as an event.”
Bartenders from Denver’s ‘5280 Flair’ will be on hand both Friday and Saturday to perform and help judge the competition. These award winning bartenders are some of the best in the country at manipulating bar tools, juggling bottles and entertaining audiences while actually mixing drinks. “We love coming to Deadwood and performing,” said 5280 Flair’s Bradley Kaplan. “The event is amazing, the people are so friendly and we do enjoy performing for the large crowds.”
They will be performing free on Friday, April 7th in Santana’s Lounge beginning at 7pm and will offer free flair demonstrations and classes at 3pm on Saturday, April 8. They will also be performing at the Grand Tasting event as part of Forks, Corks & Kegs and again for free in Santana’s Lounge that evening.
Entry into the State Bartending Championships is free and must be reserved no later than April 6th by emailing press@deadwoodmountaingrand.com or calling George at 605-559-1182. A complete set of rules and times will be provided after entry and special room rates are available for participants by calling 877-907-GRAND. The event is open to any bartender that has an affiliation with or located within the State of South Dakota.
Tickets for the two day Forks, Corks & Kegs event are on sale now. They will be available at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Box Office – The Company Store – or at ticketmaster.com. Both hotel reservations and ticket arrangements may be made by calling 877-907-GRAND.
For more information, visit www.deadwoodmountaingrand.com or www.deadwood.com or call 605-559-0386. To open your free Grand Rewards Center membership and enjoy the benefits of purchasing advance tickets ahead of the general public, bring a photo ID to the Grand Rewards Center counter, located in the Deadwood Mountain Grand Resort Casino.
Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel, a Holiday Inn Resort is the newly restored 1906 Homestake Mining Co. ore processing plant that overlooks Historic Deadwood, which features a 98-room luxury hotel, 210 state-of-the-art casino games, high stakes gaming action, a 2,500 seat entertainment and event center and a multi-level parking garage.
