Thirst Extinguisher toasts to signature cocktails

From time to time, I’m asked to help judge a cooking contest, whether for a specific ingredient like tomatoes or a theme such as herbs. Last month’s invitation was the most unusual one I’ve received so far. The Lewes Fire Department Auxiliary planned to hold a fundraiser as part of their Fire Prevention weekend. They asked local restaurants to create a cocktail for a Thirst Extinguisher promotion.

Each of the participating restaurants agreed to support the fundraiser by donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their speciality cocktails. And, to make things more interesting, a panel of judges was asked to taste the drinks and choose a winning entry. The winner would be the first to have their name engraved on the Thirst Extinguisher contest plaque, which could be displayed at their bar until next year’s competition. 

The  panel of judges were the Cape Gazette food and drink writers including John McDonald, Bob Yesbek and me. Unfortunately, John was under the weather, so we recruited LFD Auxiliary member Dennis Moore (see photo) to the team. He mentioned something about his willingness to do whatever was necessary to support the Lewes Fire Department. 

We met at the Station 2 firehouse and watched as the competing cocktails arrived, complete with glassware and garnishes. Five of the seven restaurants provided samples for the taste test: Matt’s Fish Camp with an Apple Cider Crush, Crust & Craft with a Sussex County Crush, Beach Time Distilling with Firestorm, Sydney’s with a crush called Oxidizer, and Bethany Blues with Mr. Jimmy’s Rickhouse Rye (complete with oversized ice sphere). 

While preparing how we would judge the entries, we outlined a set of criteria, which turned out to be very helpful when the final decision came down to a tiebreaker. We would assess the cocktail’s name (as related to the theme), presentation, aroma, taste and originality, with a maximum score of five points. 

The three crush-style cocktails each featured a different fruit – strawberry, watermelon and apple – all with sweet notes and that great slushy texture. Bethany Blues’ entry was quite complex (see recipe below), and its name was an homage to a favorite bar customer who passed away recently. This cocktail was very potent and needed to be sipped slowly; the smoked cherry garnish was a lovely touch.

The entry that ultimately won the tiebreaker came from Beach Time Distilling. This cocktail was served in signature stemless glasses (see photo) and offered a twist on their canned-cocktail offering, complete with a cinnamon stick garnish for added flavor interest. According to the recipe on their website, the Firestorm cocktail combines ginger beer and their aptly named Beach Fire spiced rum. This perfect balance of sweet, spice and a little fire certainly quenched our thirst.

The role of the Lewes Fire Department Auxiliary is to support the fire department through fundraising to purchase uniforms and equipment well as outreach projects in area schools and cooking dinner for the firefighters’ weekly meetings. The auxiliary was thrilled that so many restaurants were willing to support their efforts, and according to organizer Marcia Esposito, “We’ll have even more next year!” We hope the Cape Gazette food and drink columnists will be invited back to judge.

Fire Storm Cocktail*

ice
1 1/2 oz Beach Fire Spiced Rum
6 oz Goslings Ginger Beer
cinnamon stick
lime wheel for garnish

Fill a cocktail glass with chopped ice. Add rum and ginger beer. Stir with cinnamon stick and garnish with lime wheel.
*From Beach Time Distilling, also available in cans.

Mr. Jimmy’s Rickhouse Rye*

2 oz Sagamore rye
1/2 oz Luxardo cherry liqueur
1/4 oz Amaretto
1 oz apricot puree
dash black walnut bitters
dash orange bitters
lemon twist
smoked Luxardo cherries
ice sphere

Combine rye, cherry liqueur, Amaretto, apricot puree and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Pour into glass. Thread cherries and lemon twist on a cocktail spear; add to glass. Gently lower ice sphere into the glass and swirl. *From Bethany Blues.