News Article

National Archives Foundation, The Tasting Panel Magazine to Host A Patriotic Cocktail Competition and Tasting

June 1, 2015

The National Archives Foundation and The Tasting Panel Magazine today opened registration for “A Patriotic Cocktail Competition and Tasting,” an exclusive evening in conjunction with the National Archives Museum’s exhibit: Spirited Republic: Alcohol in American History.

Derek Brown, the first-ever “Chief Spirits Advisor,” will emcee the event, which will feature a moderated discussion and competition among eight of the top bartenders from around the country. After the competition, guests will be invited to drink cocktails and enjoy after-hours access to the museum, including guided tours of the Spirited Republic exhibit.

Esteemed Judges include Duane Sylvestre of Bourbon Steak, JP Fetherston of Mockingbird Hill, and David Ferriero, the Archivist of the United States. In addition to a judge’s winner, one of the bartenders will be named the Crowd Favorite.

Guests must be 21+ over to attend. For more information and to reserve tickets, go to spiritedrepublic.org/events/a-patriotic-cocktail-competition-and-tasting.

What: A Patriotic Cocktail Competition and Tasting

When: July 1, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. ET

Where: National Archives Museum, National Mall on Constitution Avenue at 9th Street, NW.

Spirited Republic explores the federal government’s efforts, successes, and failures to change our drinking habits, from whiskey rations to the Continental Army to the Whiskey Rebellion to Prohibition and beyond. The exhibit uses nearly 100 National Archives records and artifacts to show the evolution of the government’s alcohol policy over time, and to illustrate the wide variety of views about alcohol held by Americans.

Spirited Republic is free and open to the public, and is on display in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, through January 10, 2016.

The public can learn more at spiritedrepublic.org and on social media via hashtag #SpiritedRepublic.

Spirited Republic is presented in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of: HISTORY®, the Lawrence F. O’Brien Family, The Tasting Panel Magazine, and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. Additional exhibition funding provided by the Beer Institute, the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, and the National Beer Wholesalers Association.


Media inquiries about the National Archives Foundation or Spirited Republic should be directed to: melissa.schwartz@bromwichgroup.com