Creative Loafing's HighBall to Return for Another Round at Rialto Theatre

Creative Loafing's craft cocktail competition, HighBall, is back for another round of tipsy fun on Thursday, May 11th, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Rialto Theatre (1617 N. Franklin St. in Tampa).

Featuring local spirits, bartenders, and more, HighBall Another Round 2017 will showcase craft cocktails created by Tampa Bay's top mixologists with either whisky, vodka, gin, or rum as they compete to win the title of 'Tampa Bay's Best Cocktail' at HighBall Another Round.

HighBall Another Round highlights four local Tampa Bay area distilleries and spirits: Kozuba & Sons Distillery's Mr. Rye Whisky will be the featured whisky; Florida Cane Distillery's Tamiami Gin the featured gin; Drum Circle Distilling's Siesta Key Rum the featured rum; and Florida Cane Distillery's Florida Cane Vodka the featured vodka. Four bartenders will compete in each liquor category-whisky, gin, vodka, rum-for a total of 16 bartenders. There will be winners for Best Whisky, Best Gin, Best Vodka, and Best Rum Cocktails, in addition to overall Best Overall Cocktail.

Not to mention, Creative Loafing (CL) will be celebrating the release of their Summer Guide Issue - in print and online on May 11th - and the winning cocktail will be featured at Creative Loafing's annual Best of the Bay Awards Party in September.

A portion of proceeds will benefit Ybor City Museum Society.

Featuring craft cocktails by:
Bob Heilman's Beachcomber
Buya Ramen
Casey's Craft Bar Kitchen
Castile Restaurant
Catcher and the Rye
District Tavern
Flanagan's Irish Pub
Franklin Manor
Iberian Rooster
Ichicoro Ramen
O Cocina Modern Mexican
Park & Rec
Pisces Sushi & Global Bistro
Tampa Marriott Waterside
Taps Restaurant Bar & Lounge
The Living Room

In January, HighBall was introduced as CL's first craft cocktail competition in celebration of the annual Drinking Issue. January's HighBall featured 16 local bartenders competing in the whisky, vodka, gin, and rum categories; as voted on by attendees in January 2017, Best Whisky & Overall Craft Cocktail went to Flanagan's Irish Pub, Best Vodka Craft Cocktail went to The Cask and Ale, Best Gin Craft Cocktail went to Casey's Craft Bar Kitchen, and Best Rum Craft Cocktail went to District Tavern. For a video from the January event, visit: bit.ly/highballvideo.

Tickets for HighBall Another Round are on sale now and available for purchase at cltampa.com/highball.

General Admission (GA) tickets are $25 in advance now through May 10th and $40 at the door on May 11th. GA includes craft cocktail samples from each restaurant/bar, bites, & voting in the 'Tampa Bay's Best Cocktail' contest.

VIP tickets are $50 in advance now through May 10th and $80 at the door on May 11th. VIP includes early entry for an extra hour of sampling without the crowds from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., craft cocktail samples from each restaurant/bar, bites, VIP-only perks, & voting in the 'Tampa Bay's Best Cocktail' contest.

Complimentary on-site valet will be provided by Sunshine Valet.

Creative Loafing has once again teamed up with Lyft to get attendees to and from the event safely. First-time Lyft users get their first ride free up to $20 by downloading the app, creating an account, and entering the code CLTAMPA in the 'Payment' section.

Attendees are encouraged to RSVP to the Facebook event page to stay in-the-know: bit.ly/highballarfb17.

Special thanks to partners and sponsors Rialto Theatre, Kozuba & Sons Distillery, Siesta Key Rum, Tamiami Gin, Florida Cane Vodka, The Gin Joint, Roundhouse Creative, and Lyft.

For more information on HighBall, visit cltampa.com/highball.

Creative Loafing is an award-winning alternative, weekly newspaper and website committed to providing Tampa Bay with an independent perspective, up-to-the-minute local news, and a comprehensive listing of local happenings. Creative Loafing offers readers' unique monthly events and CL Deals, a locally focused platform featuring dining and event experiences at half-off their regular price. For more information about Creative Loafing, visit cltampa.com and cldeals.com.

Formed in 2007, Southcomm Inc. is the nation's second-largest publisher of alternative weeklies, one of the largest publishing companies serving chambers of commerce, and with the Cygnus Business Media purchase in 2014, a significant player in the B2B publishing world. The Nashville-based company now owns more than 30 titles reaching millions of B2B professionals and consumers annually, via its diverse suite of print, digital, online and live-event products. The company has offices in Nashville, Tenn.; Fort Atkinson, Wis.; Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Louisville, Ky.; Kansas City, Mo.; Cincinnati; Tampa, Fla.; Arlington Heights, Ill.; and Florence, Ky. For more information, visit southcomm.com.

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