Bourbon Battle!

Wednesday night, we went to the Marriott Hotels Bourbon Battle Grand Mix-Off at the just-renovated Washington Marriott Georgetown. 

We snapped contestants from the Media Bourbon Battle: food editor for DCist Travis Mitchell, editor for Zagat DC Rina Rapuano and managing editor for DC Refined Laura Wainman.

The inaugural battle was a celebration of the fully redesigned Washington Marriott Georgetown after it underwent a $28M transformation. The event is part of the Marriott Hotels Bourbon Program, an innovative on-property experience for guests and visitors. The battle featured four of DC’s best bartenders competing to craft the winning bourbon cocktail. Two mixologists from local DC bars went up against two star Marriott bartenders to prove their skills. Here are the judges of the competition: food writer and cookbook author David Hagedorn, Marriott vice president of brand operations, design and development James Addison and Washington Post spirits writer Carrie Allan.

A panel of local celebrity judges chose the winning mixologist, who won a weekend stay at Washington Marriott Georgetown, received Marriott Rewards Platinum status, 100,000 rewards points and the coveted Bourbon Battle trophy. Here, Men’s Life DC’s Barnette Holston and DCist’s Evan Caplan.

Guests in attendance sampled some of the District’s best locally made bourbons in a Taste of DC blind tasting, cheered on reporters in a Media Bourbon Battle exhibition, and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails and a live performance by the Johnny Grave Blues Band. Here, Washington Marriott Georgetown GM Kori Johnson with Eastern Region at Marriott International COO David Marriott.

Here, Bourbon Battle host Food Network’s Rossi Morreale, flanked by St. Germain brand specialist and bartender at Addendum (the new addition inside of Eighteenth Street Lounge) Jennifer Feldt and Marriott Griffin Gate’s Lauren Sundburg.

Allison Liu with BlueLabs’ Matthew Stafford and Brightest Young Things’ Kaylee Dugan, who is preparing for next month’s "Bibliodiscotheque," an exploration of disco culture, music, dance and fashion represented in the national collections at the Library of Congress.

The winner of the Media Bourbon Battle: National Journal and freelance spirits writer Jeff Dufour.

Here is the Johnny Grave Blues Band, which performed at the event.

Here is the winner of the main battle, beverage director and bar manager for Hank's Oyster Bar Jessica Weinstein.