Cocktail Competition Rules

Welcome to the 2025 season of 505 Food Fights! Thank you for being part of New Mexico’s biggest cocktail competition—all for charity! Along with philanthropy, this event is all about showcasing local mixology talent—and spotlighting craft, creativity, and adaptability.

In the leadup to your competition, we highly encourage you to engage with our audience @505foodfights and show off your skills behind the bar. And please share our website with your own audience, bar guests, and friends.

With that, here’s what you need to know…

Contestants will:

• Create 2 unique cocktails, for 2 rounds of service.

• Execute 2 judge drinks + 20 audience flights, for each cocktail.

• Feature the night’s liquor, in both drinks.

• Bring no more than 2 prepped ingredients (no alcohol) + 1 garnish (you may also bring special ice).

• Share any commercial bitters brought, on the common table.

Scoring

2 (or 3) experienced judges will evaluate each drink, using our 4-part scorecard.

Audience members who purchase sample flights will get the same scorecard.

Each drink is scored out of 20 points based on:

• Visual & garnish

• Flavor & balance

• Use & execution of challenge

• Would you order it?

Winner is decided by the tallied total for both drinks.

People’s Choice score breaks a tie.

Competition Process

1. Bartender intros (approx 6:30pm)

2. First cocktail – Secret Ingredient

• Secret liquor revealed & tasted.

• Secret ingredient revealed.

• 15 minutes to plan & plate for judges.

• Explain your cocktail to audience.

• Make 20 taster versions for audience flights (be prepared to make up to 30).

3. Second cocktail – Wheel of Challenges

• Spin the wheel.

• 15 minutes to plan & plate for judges.

• Explain your cocktail to audience.

• Make 20 taster versions for audience flights (be prepared to make up to 30).

5. Scoring & winner announcements

Ingredients & Tools

We provide:

• Lemon juice (fresh)

• Lime juice (fresh)

• Simple syrup (1:1)

• Turbinado (1:1)

• Honey syrup (3:2)

• Club soda

• Pineapple juice

• Coconut milk

• Eggs

• Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit

• Angostura & Orange bitters

• Olives & Cherries

• Fresh herbs

• Assorted berries

• Vermouths
  

You bring:

• Up to 2 prepped ingredients + 1 garnish

• Any commercial bitters (must share)

• Tools encouraged:

  • 2+ shakers

  • Mixing glass

  • Strainer & fine strainer

  • Jigger / measuring cup

  • Barspoon

  • Muddler

  • Knife, cuttingboard, peeler

• Tools suggested:

  • Special glassware

  • Garnish picks

  • Brulee torch

  • Citrus squeezer

  • Ice scoop

  • Microplane

  • Rapid infuser