LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster bartender is a regional finalist for a worldwide Negroni cocktail contest.
Alexandra Kastelic, who serves beverages at Decades in Lancaster, was voted into the finals for the cocktail recipe she developed for the 12th annual Negroni Week.
Customers voted for the favorite drinks from Sept. 18-22, Decades said in a press release.
Kastelic competed against other bartenders from Lancaster, Philadelphia and the central Pa. area. Decades and another Lancaster bar, Luca, were the only two local establishments to advance.
As a regional finalist, Kastelic was invited to a celebration Tuesday at Midnight & The Wicked in Philadelphia, where she was able to showcase her concoction.
"We are very proud of Alexandra on her efforts in the Negroni Week and Gala Negroni competitions," said Chris Trendler, a partner and operations manager at Decades. "It's an honor to showcase our beverage program and be invited to compete in Philadelphia. Her thoughtful preparation of a delicious cocktail shows her talents and the strength of our bar team."
The Negroni Week contest was launched in 2013 by Imbibe Magazine as a celebration of one of the world's great cocktails and an effort to raise money for charitable causes around the world.
Since then, Negroni Week has grown from about 120 participating establishments to thousands of venues across the world. Negroni Week has raised more than $5 million for charitable organizations.
This year's event benefits the Slow Food organization, Decades said.
You can find out more about Negroni Week and the charities it supports here.
