Bartender Olympics

Last Sunday we attended the annual Bartender Olympics to benefit the St. Croix Animal Shelter. It was held on the beach at Protestant Cay, a small island in the middle of Christiansted Harbor. It was a fun day. Bartenders and servers competed in popping tops off beer bottles, running obstacle courses, mixing drinks, and so on. Our friend Joe had the tough job of jurying the competition, so he got to taste all the concoctions created by the bartenders, which also sold on auction for $80 to $250. Some of the creations included a Crucian Mimosa, Strawberry Cheesecake and the Natural Pina Colada, made with fresh pineapples and served inside the pineapple.

Rick of Molly Molone's in St. Thomas won Best Bartender. His castaway looks belied a sharp efficiency that left most other bartenders in the dust. Kirsten, his able server, should have won best server, but there was no such category. We stood behind them during the competition and cheered them on, and for our efforts we were rewarded with our very own free Natural Pina Colada, the very same potion that had just been auctioned for $250.