JASON’S REVENGE
The Dish
It was really a no-brainer. We were sitting next to Chef Beau MacMillan at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain last week and he said that Jason Asher (above in red), the head mixologist in Sanctuary’s Jade Bar, was one of the finalists in a long-running national cocktail competition. He mentioned that the contest was being run by GQ Magazine and Bombay Sapphire. He also mentioned that EATERAZ should come along.
Before Tyda could even check his calendar, Phillips was clicking “confirm purchase” on Southwest.com. So off to Vegas we went.
Held on the patio of PURE Nightclub, the intimate final rounds of the “Most Inspired Bartender” contest were tightly guarded from the public eye – so much so that we had to talk our way in (then again, we have to do that pretty much anywhere in Vegas). Asher said he mixed well, but the competitors really brought out the surprises. Hey, third place doesn’t sound that bad. We tried to finagle some insider info out of old friend and contest judge Tony Abou-Ganim (pictured above with Asher), but those Master Mixologists seem to never accept bribes.
On the next night, Asher assured us that the winning announcement event was closed to anyone outside the contest. Even though nobody was doing well at the tables, word came through—HOME TEAM TAKES THE CROWN! Asher not only killed the competitors’ scores with his Beet & Yuzu Gimlet with Watermelon Ball garnish, but he will appear on the cover of GQ’s December Issue!
So get into Jade Bar now, and meet the future GQ cover model. Say “hi” to Beau, too. He didn’t do well at craps and could use a hug … or a twenty.
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