2019 Cocktails

2nd Annual DKAF Cocktail Competition

Back for round two, the 2nd annual DKAF cocktail competition will be held at Egg Harbor’s new Hatch Distilling Co. Contestants have been asked to use a Hatch Distilling product in their cocktail creations (vodka, gin, or bourbon) and are required to evoke the spirit of Door County through taste and presentation.

With contestants hailing from Door County, Green Bay and Milwaukee, the competition is sure to be fierce, as last year's champion Danielle Wacek from Green Bay returns to defend her title. (Check out her winning cocktail: “The Safe Word.”)

The winning drink will be served at the festival, cultivating a sensuous experience of artistic creation for audience members to enjoy. This free event kicks off the DKAF festivities, Sunday, June 9, at 3p.m.


Cocktail Artist in Residence: Robert Simonson

Robert Simonson writes about cocktails, spirits, bars and bartenders for The New York Times. He is the author of the books “The Old-Fashioned: The Story of the World’s First Classic Cocktail” and “A Proper Drink,” the first-ever history of the cocktail renaissance, and “Three-Ingredient Cocktails,” which was nominated for a 2018 James Beard Award. He was a major contributor to “The Essential New York Times Book of Cocktails.” His writing have appeared in Imbibe, Whiskey Advocate, Eater, Food & Wine, Saveur, Lucky Peach and Punch, where he is a contributing editor. His line of custom Old-Fashioned glass was recently released by Cocktail Kingdom. He lives in Brooklyn.

Robert Simonson will be returning as the festival’s resident mixologist, introducing signature drinks in and around all DKAF, hosting DKAF's first ever cocktail competition, and leading a seminar on Art and the Cocktail with Eric Simonson



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