[Party Pix] Inside the Bartender Bracket Battle! : K Street Magazine

Last Monday night, college basketball fans gathered to cheer on another type of bracket-style competition: Bud Light’s “Bartender Bracket Battle” at U Street bar and restaurant Hawthorne. Mixologists from eight D.C. bars faced off to see who could make the best Bud Light-based beer-tail while partygoers enjoyed beer, sliders and fries during the March Madness-themed celebration on Hawthorne’s rooftop.

A Bud Light March Madness bottle by Joy Asico

Soundcheck bartender Crys Altizer was the People’s Choice winner with her raspberry-tinged “Oklahoma Sooners,” whileSTK’s Heidi Bratton won the Judge’s Vote for her “North Carolina Tarheels,” a mix of cherries, raspberries and fresh lemon juice. Both winners received a Bud Light Beats by Dre pill speaker in addition to two tickets to watch the Washington Wizardstake on the Brooklyn Nets on April 6 — with access to the Budweiser Brewhouse at the Verizon Center.

A Chinese Disco's Dana Perim, Echostage's Tammy Colella, Hawthorne's Hailey Miller and STK's Heidi Bratton by Joy Asico

The panel for the Judge’s Vote included BrightestYoungThings.com Managing Editor Brandon Wetherbee, United States Bartenders’ Guild DC Chapter Director of Marketing Jonathan Peterson, Landmark Theatres Bar Manager Eric King andHawthorne owner Fritz Brogan. And, it was the Bud Light Bracket Battle crowd that made its choice known with the People’s Choice award.

The other six competing bartenders were Tammy Colella from Echostage, Dana Perim from Chinese Disco, Hailey Miller fromHawthorne, Tom Latterell from Big Chief, Vick Chizinga from OneRoute Catering and Ayanna Dukes from Provision No. 14.