On Wednesday, August 8, 2012, over 250 cocktail enthusiasts gathered on the rooftop at Bell Harbor to celebrate Be Cointreauversial, a Cointreau cocktail competition. Guests at the sold-out event watched the sun set over Elliott Bay as bartenders competed to win the title of best Cointreau Cocktail. Participants included Greg West of Hunger mixing “The Anklebiter”; Travis Stanley-Jones of Mulleady’s concocting “The Kipling”; Shane Sahr of Tini Bigs with “The Chez Noir”; Jon Christiansen of Monsoon East mixing “Care Away”; and Michael Kostin of Paratti serving the “Cointreauversial Sonho de Verão.” The competitors were asked to create a Cointreau-themed cocktail to be tasted by five judges and all guests in attendance. Judges included Seattle Met Food & Drink Editor Allecia Vermillion, Where Ya At Matt Owner Matthew Lewis, and Ethan Stowell Restaurants Beverage Director Sennen David. The winning cocktails were Mulleady’s “The Kipling” (Judges’ Choice) and Monsoon’s “Care Away” (People’s Choice). As the guests and judges sampled each drink, Chefs Jared Dill of Morton’s The Steakhouse and David Hatfield from Library Bistro and Bookstore Bar grilled up meaty fares for guests to munch on, including Filet Mignon with Cointreau Mango Salsa (Morton’s The Steakhouse) and Pork Cheek Salad with Cointreau White Balsamic Dressing (Library Bookstore Bistro and Bar). Dill and Hatfield offered up simple yet impressive ways to dress up meals with Cointreau, while answering cooking questions from food enthusiasts. Partygoers were also treated to performances by burlesque dancers from Seattle’s Atomic Bombshells while the fabulous Poison Waters emceed the night away.
