Playing for a $7,000 prize trip to visit the ABSOLUT Akademi in Sweden, the stakes were as high as the slopes at this year's ABSOLUT Big White cocktail competition. Local bartenders were well represented with The Mix by Ric's Tia Stonier shaking for Whistler and Matt Cooke of Tableau, Andrew Smith of the George Lounge and Thor Paulson of Wildebeest representing Vancouver. Also competing Mark Veriker of Raudz in Kelowna, Bryan Schmidt of The Billiard Club, Edmonton and Big White's Brad Machon of the Globe. Bartenders had to impress not only a judge's panel but also win the popular vote with a People's Choice taste test. The victor of the night was Calgary's Milk Tiger and Nathen Head who won with "Post Modern Cosmo #45;" a blend of Absolut Elyx, organic sugar syrup, Dillon's lemon bitter, bitter cranberry and citric acid orange oil.
Eater photographer Joern Rohde was on hand to find out what happened when eight bartenders clinked their way up to Big White to make cocktails in the snow.