Sláinte! 28 North in Viera celebrates Brevard's growing cocktail culture with competition

Suzy Fleming Leonard, Florida Today
Updated ·4 min read

Sláinte!

This Gaelic toast, meaning health, is an Irish tradition.

At 28 North Gastropub in Viera, it also symbolizes the start of a new tradition.

Sláinte Traditions & Cheers Cocktail Competition is set for 5-9 p.m. Wednesday at the gastropub, a celebration of the new year, old friendships and Brevard's burgeoning cocktail culture.

"More and more places have popped up," said Ben Jewel, a territory account manager for Sunshine State Distributing and a talented mixologist.

"When I back came here seven years ago, there were maybe two places to get a craft cocktail: Cafe Margaux and Crush XI. From there, it's blown up and blossomed. It seems like everybody wants to get into the craft cocktail game."

Crush XI and five newer Brevard restaurants will be represented in the competition, which will feature:

  • Hiiji Harvin of Villa Palma at the Village in Cocoa Village

  • Jon "Stu" Stutte of Crush XI in downtown Melbourne

  • Matt Bramkmap of The Alibi in Cocoa Beach

  • Greg Schutt of Ember & Oak in downtown Melbourne

  • Kayla Harris of Urban Prime in Viera

  • Madison Keenan of The Dunes in Cocoa Beach

Each participant will create a cocktail using Sláinte Irish Whiskey and inspired by their own family traditions.

"This is just a poetry slam with cocktails," said Joe Snyder, beverage director for 28 North and sister restaurant Pizza Gallery & Grill.

Local bartenders will create cocktails on Jan. 3 using Slainte Irish Whiskey during the Slainte Traditions & Cheers Cocktail Competition at 28 North Gastropub in Viera.
Local bartenders will create cocktails on Jan. 3 using Slainte Irish Whiskey during the Slainte Traditions & Cheers Cocktail Competition at 28 North Gastropub in Viera.

As host of the event, 28 North won't participate in the competition, Snyder said.

"We'll have one of our bartenders make a Sláinte Old-Fashioned," he said. (See recipe below).

Snyder said most bar managers in the area don't see one another as rivals. They share a mutual respect and believe more places making craft cocktails means better business for everyone.

The Sláinte will be like a commercial for each competitor, Snyder said.

"We want people to see what others can do and want to visit their bar," he said.

He wants the Sláinte event to be fun. Yes, the competitors will take it seriously, but they also will feed off of the creativity in the room.

"I'm a big fan of all these talented folks and happy to spend an evening of friendly competition with them," said Jillian Jeffery, beverage director at Urban Prime, which opened in October. "Being the new kid on the block, we're looking to have fun, flex our creative muscles and make a great drink."

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Snyder said he sees a growing demand for more ingenuity when it comes to drinks.

A maker of true craft cocktails is akin to a high-end chef or a fine artist.

They don't simply glug some liquor into a glass the top it off with a squirt of soda. They think about complex flavor profiles and fresh ingredients. They enjoy making drinks that are sophisticated, whimsical or somewhere in between.

Take, for example, 28 North's Lemon Fizzy Lifting Drink, inspired by the new movie "Wonka." It features Gray Whale Gin, simple syrup, orange, Champagne and Pop Rocks.

Jewell, who will be one of the judges at the competition, predicts Brevard's cocktail culture will continue to grow. Rather than spending $15 on two or three mixed drinks, more people are willing to spend the same amount for one well-constructed cocktail.

"They're not drinking to get drunk," Jewell said. "They want something cool, fancy. Something they can post on social media."

About the Sláinte competition

Tickets for Sláinte Traditions & Cheers Cocktail Competition are $75 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com. (Search "Sláinte.") The event will be from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday at 28 North, 2250 Town Center Ave., Unit 101, the Avenue Viera.

Each guest will receive a bottle of Sláinte Irish Whiskey, which is distributed locally by Sunshine State Distributing and is available at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. Guests also can enjoy a toast shot to kick off the event, a buffet of charcuterie and small plates and one complimentary cocktail, beer or wine from 28 North's available selections.

The competition will be in two rounds. Bartenders will make one cocktail inspired by their family's traditions. A panel of independent judges (including me!) will choose two finalists. The finalists will make cocktails on the fly using a box ingredient that will be kept secret until the final round begins.

The winner will receive a cash prize as well as a baseball bat signed by Liev Schreiber, a Sláinte co-founder. The bat is an homage to Schreiber's role as an Irish-American "fixer" on the Showtime drama "Ray Donovan."

Irish Old-Fashioned

2 ounces Sláinte Irish Whiskey Smooth Blend

1/4 ounce sugar syrup

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

2 dashes of orange bitters

Add the whiskey, sugar syrup and both bitters to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard. 

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Sláinte cocktail competition will be Jan. 3 at 28 North in Viera