Bay Ridge's Third Avenue bars are turning their annual bartender contest into a walking crawl. The 3rd Annual Battle of the Bartenders, run by the Merchants of 3rd Ave, moves to Saturday, Nov. 7, from noon to 5 p.m., with 11 stops along the avenue, one house cocktail made 11 ways, and a bingo game played on foot. Tickets are $40.

How it works

This year the merchants group is running the contest the way it runs its Pizza Wars and Wing Wars: as a walking tour. Guests check in at Kitty Kiernans, visit the participating stops along Third Avenue, and finish at Three Jolly Pigeons.

Every bartender makes their own version of the same signature drink, the Merchant, built on Fort Hamilton Distillery's cucumber vodka. Each bar mixes a large batch ahead of time and pours a small sample for every guest, who tastes them in turn and votes. The bartender with the winning version is named this year's champion.

Running alongside the tasting is a Walking Bingo Scavenger Tour: guests collect numbers as they visit stops, and the last number is called when the winner is crowned.

The bars

The merchants group lists these participants so far, and notes that the lineup can change:

  • Kitty Kiernans
  • The Wicked Monk
  • Bar Chuzo
  • Iguazu
  • Cebu
  • The Kettle Black
  • Ho'Brah
  • Brooklyn Roots
  • The Corner
  • Laila Bay Ridge
  • Puertas
  • Kampos
  • Three Jolly Pigeons

Tickets and details

Tickets are $40 through the merchants group's ticket page on Zeffy. Check-in information, bingo instructions and any updates will be emailed to ticket holders before the event. The event is built around cocktail samples, so plan a ride home, or use the R train, which runs under Fourth Avenue with stops at Bay Ridge Avenue, 77th Street, 86th Street and Bay Ridge-95th Street, a block from Third Avenue.

The Battle of the Bartenders is Saturday, Nov. 7, noon to 5 p.m., starting at Kitty Kiernans on Third Avenue in Bay Ridge. Buy a $40 ticket through the Merchants of 3rd Ave events page.

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