Napa, California — The fifth annual Wizards of Elixirs Cocktail Competition Oct. 30 at the Napa Valley Museum Yountville raised more than $10,000 for the museum’s arts education programs. Hosted by The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley and Charbay Distillery, the spirited community event drew more than 300 people including teams from 15 Wine Country establishments whose entries featured Charbay’s cult favorite Tequila Tapatío Blanco and The Perfect Purée’s flavors.
The People’s Choice Award went to bartender Eddie Garcia of Picobar with “Drink of the Gods,” an inventive salty-sweet combination of Tequila Tapatío Blanco, The Perfect Purée Thai Basil & Black Pepper Blend, tejuino purée and lime juice.
Second place went to Rafael Barba and Mark Murgas of Goose & Gander, who paired Tequila Tapatío with The Perfect Purée Passion Fruit Concentrate in “Pad-a-Juan.” Vincent Lundeen and Erick Torres of Andaz Napa took third with “The Martian” featuring The Perfect Purée Blueberry. Fourth went to The Q Restaurant & Bar’s Savannah Barto (the only contestant who also won a People’s Choice Award in 2022). Their drink, “The Offering,” featured The Perfect Purée El Corazón and Red Sangria blends.
The best décor award went to Solbar for its clown theme. Other teams represented Hollywood Room; Ox & The Fox; Lo & Behold; Luma Bar & Eatery; Blue Ridge Kitchen; Fern Bar; Kapu Bar; The Matheson; Wilfred’s Lounge; and Graton Casino.
Jenni Karakasevic, director of operations for Charbay Distillery, thanked her co-sponsors and all the competitors. “All the drinks were fantastic, I wanted everyone to win! It was so fun to see all the festive costumes, too. Can’t wait for next year,” she said.
The event was set up in the museum gallery where “Tiki Dreams: From Far-Away Fantasy to Pop-Culture Phenomenon” is on exhibit, giving guests the chance to explore California’s Tiki history while sipping beverages. The event is a fun gathering for bartenders to vie good-naturedly (most on their day off) and support local causes. In the past, Wizards of Elixirs supported area families affected by wildfires. All proceeds from 2023 ticket and raffle sales went towards the Napa Valley Museum Yountville’s nonprofit programs including its classroom and adult outreach activities.
Napa Valley Museum Yountville Executive Director Laura Rafaty said the “Tiki Dreams” exhibition made the Wizards event extra special.“We can’t remember an event where attendees had such a rollicking great time while thoughtfully savoring the food and drink on offer. It was particularly gratifying to hear from the guests how much they appreciated the Tiki exhibition itself. We are so grateful to Charbay, The Perfect Purée and the participating restaurants and bars for their generous support of the event and the museum, and to the attendees who reminded us just how much fun a big event inside our gallery can be.”
The Perfect Purée and Charbay Distillery share the Wizards of Elixirs Cocktail Competition winning recipes:
First Place: “Drink of the Gods”
Eddie Garcia, Picobar, Calistoga, CA
Ingredients:
• 2 oz. Tequila Tapatío Blanco
• ¾ oz. The Perfect Purée Thai Basil & Black Pepper Blend
• 1 ¼ oz. tejuino puree
• ½ oz. lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• dehydrated lime wheel, garnish
Method:
- Salt the rim of a rocks glass. Shake all ingredients and pour into rocks glass.
- Garnish with dehydrated lime wheel.
Second Place: “Pad-a-Juan”
Rafael Barba and Mark Murgas, Goose & Gander, St. Helena
Ingredients:
• 1.5 oz. Tequila Tapatío Blanco
• ¼ oz. Geijer Glogg Liqueur
• ¼ oz. The Perfect Purée Passion Fruit Concentrate
• 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• ¼ oz. lime juice
• ¼ oz. piloncillo
• lemon twist, garnish
Method:
Mix all ingredients excluding garnish in shaker. Hard shake then double strain into a coup. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Third Place: “The Martian”
Vincent Lundeen and Erick Torres, Andaz Napa
Ingredients:
• 1 ½ oz. Tequila Tapatío Blanco
• ½ oz. Alessio Vermouth Bianco
• ¼ oz. Lazzaroni Amaretto
• ¾ oz. blueberry syrup with The Perfect Purée Blueberry
• ¾ oz. lemon juice
• coconut poppy seed foam, garnish
Method:
Add all ingredients excluding garnish to a shaker. Shake and pour cocktail into a large rocks glass. Garnish with coconut poppy seed foam.
Fourth Place: “The Offering”
Savannah Barto, The Q Restaurant & Bar, Napa
Ingredients:
• 2 oz. Marigold & Cinnamon Infused Tequila Tapatío Blanco
• ½ oz. The Perfect Purée El Corazón Blend
• ¼ oz. The Perfect Purée Red Sangria Blend
• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 2 Dash Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters
• 1 oz. Cock’n Bull Ginger Beer
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• ¾ oz grenadine
• gold-flecked marigold, garnish
• Sichuan citrus ginger salt, garnish
Method:
- Rim a rocks glass with Sichuan citrus ginger salt. Shake all ingredients apart from garnishes and pour onto crushed ice in the rimmed rocks glass.
- Garnish with gold-flecked marigold.
About The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley
For over 35 years, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley has indulged the culinary passion of chefs, mixologists and food enthusiasts with products that provide ultimate fresh fruit flavor minus the peeling, dicing and simmering required for making purées from scratch. The company’s line-up of fruit purées, specialties and blends features 41 on-trend premium flavors ranging from pantry staples Red Raspberry, Strawberry and Banana to the tropical Lychee, Passion Fruit and Pink Guava. The fruits are harvested at peak ripeness, puréed, and packed frozen to maintain optimal freshness, flavor and color no matter what the season. As the leading U.S. producer of premium fruit purées with foodservice distribution throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley is revered in restaurants, hotels, bars, bakeries and catering kitchens for the just-picked taste and unmatched consistency of its products.
All flavors can be frozen for up to 24 months from date of manufacture. When thawed, the purées, concentrates and specialties last 7-10 days in the refrigerator, and blends for 21 days.
For more information, visit www.perfectpuree.com or follow on Instagram or Facebook @theperfectpuree.
About Charbay Distillery
The Karakasevic family is one of the early pioneers of the modern American artisan distillery movement; they began distilling in California in 1983 with alambic pot still brandy and haven’t stopped since. Charbay’s line-up includes whiskeys distilled from bottle-ready beer, brandies distilled from Napa Valley grapes, vodkas flavored with 100 percent real fruit or tea, and rum distilled from sugar cane syrup. Marko Karakasevic is the thirteenth generation to carry on his family’s European heritage of fermenting and distilling. His 25-year apprenticeship covered every category of distilling. For more information, visit charbay.com.
About Napa Valley Museum Yountville
The Museum is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an online auction of artwork, experiences and other great lots. Register and bid on the auction at www.napavalleymuseum.org/auction. The Napa Valley Museum Yountville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the cultural fabric of the Napa community through exhibitions, collections, educational programs, and creative activities that promote knowledge and understanding of art, nature, and history. From world premiere exhibitsto exhibitions of iconic international and renowned regional artists, exhibitions by local and student artists, plus explorations of Napa Valley’s history and environment, the Napa Valley Museum Yountville has something for all ages and interests. For more information about exhibitions and popular education programs, visit the website at www.napavalleymuseum.org.
