YOUR AD HERE »

Garden to Glass mixology competition returns

Eagle Valley Land Trust will give area bartenders a secret ingredient to use in craft cocktails

At Garden to Glass, bartenders will work with a secret ingredient and try to earn votes from party goers to claim the trophy for best cocktail.
Eagle Valley Land Trust/Courtesy photo

Get ready for a mixology showdown along the Eagle River at Red Mountain Ranch on Aug. 16 as part of the annual Garden to Glass cocktail competition benefiting the Eagle Valley Land Trust.

  • The Challenge: Local bartenders craft a sensational beverage
  • The Winner: Attendees cast their votes to decide who takes home the trophy
  • The Wildcard: Each bartender will be working with a secret ingredient that won’t be revealed until the competition
  • The Cause: Protect wildlife​ ​habitat and open spaces in Eagle County

This year will see veteran teams taking on new challengers. Root + Flower/Two Arrows, The Rose and 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirits Co. will be facing off against newcomers The Assembly, Bad Kitty Lounge, Craftsman and The Fitz.   

The Garden to Glass fundraiser for the Eagle Valley Land Trust will be held at Red Mountain Ranch.
Eagle Valley Land Trust/Courtesy photo

“We can’t wait to go head-to-head against the best bars in the valley. And because it’s for a great cause in a beautiful setting, we feel lucky to be there,” said Samantha Biszantz, Root + Flower/Two Arrows co-owner.



Jaimie Mackey from The Assembly said they are excited to be a part of Garden to Glass because their staff loves a culinary challenge. 

“We are passionate about seasonal ingredients and really believe in EVLT’s mission. The lands around our mountain community are so special, both for their natural beauty and the incredible bounty they offer us as bartenders and chefs, especially this time of year,” Mackey said.

Support Local Journalism




The Eagle Valley Land Trust will host Garden to Glass on Tuesday and the Farm to Fork dinner on Wednesday.
Eagle Valley Land Trust/Courtesy photo

Sip on the craft cocktails and decide who you are going to vote for while also enjoying hors d’oeuvres from Red Maple Catering and live music by Hardscrabble. There will also be opportunities to win prizes that help you get out and enjoy the outdoors, like a standup paddleboard from Badfish or an exclusive fly-fishing experience up Sweetwater Valley.

In advance of the competition, the EVLT did reveal a few clues about the secret ingredient.

  • It is a part of the rose family and a close relative of almonds
  • We celebrate this fruit every August
  • This stone fruit originated from China where they have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years
The Garden to Glass fundraiser is a cocktail competition that protects wildlife habitat and open spaces in Eagle County.
Eagle Valley Land Trust/Courtesy photo

How are the mixologists preparing for the competition in advance?

“While we await the announcement of the secret ingredient, we’re busy getting creative with seasonal produce and unique techniques that will transform a good cocktail into something really great,” Mackey said. “We’ve been waiting all year for these fresh and intense ingredients to come back, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on.”

“We are constantly experimenting with new cocktails at Root + Flower, so we will just keep doing that and stay up to date with trends and fun, new products so we are ready to go when the ingredient is announced,” Biszantz said.

Although this is a competition, the EVLT wants to share their mission and strike up the conversation about conservation. Did you know that nearly two-thirds of EVLT’s conserved land contains public recreational access? Or, that the EVLT holds 35 conservation easements on over 11,000 acres of land throughout Eagle County? Some of your favorite places to hike, bike, horseback ride, or just take in the view may be preserved because of the hard work of the EVLT.

Funds from ticket sales of Garden to Glass will help support the mission and values of the organization. If you can’t make it to Garden to Glass on Tuesday, the EVLT”s largest fundraiser of the year, the Farm to Fork dinner, will be held at Red Mountain Ranch on Wednesday. For more information and tickets for both events, go to EVLT.org.


Support Local Journalism