From time to time, I step away from the standard weddings and engagements to photograph events. It’s always nice to get a fresh perspective on things and sharpen my skills by stepping out of my comfort zone and into something new. Anyone that knows me also knows that I have fiercely competitive side – so this particular event was extremely fun for me to work and by the end of the competition I felt invested in the bartenders competing and had already placed my bets as to who would be crowned the Monkey Shoulder Ultimate Bartender at Brass Monkey in Chicago.

The Ultimate Bartender Competition, hosted by Monkey Shoulder, had seven rounds. A written test with 100 various questions about general bartending knowledge, spirits, and other random tidbits; creating cocktails from the mixiodic table; a nosing round where they had to identify the type and brand of alcohol; inventory round that involved math skills; a pouring round measured down to the tiniest ounce of fluid; a serving round that was kind of like a memory game; and finally a timed challenge where they had to make eight different Monkey Shoulder cocktails. It was a tight competition down to the very last drop (see what I did there?), but ultimately, Noah Roberts was crowned the Ultimate Bartender – congrats and good luck in the national competition! Here are a few of my favorite moments from the night…