Sip-tember Cocktail Challenge, Julia Child Birthday Party Kicks Off Aug. 15

Pasadena’s month-long Sip-tember cocktail competition is back and bigger than before.

See Patch's 2012 Sip-tember coverage here. 

Like its inaugural year in 2012, the 2013 cocktail bracket challenge kicks off Aug. 15 with a city-wide cocktail party to honor what would have been the 101st birthday of Pasadena’s own late culinary goddess, Julia Child.

A happy birthday toast will happen at 7 p.m. and patrons are encouraged to dress for a 1950s, 1960s or 1970s era cocktail party.

Sip-tember pits local restaurants and bars against each other as they enter 64 special cocktails in brackets for customers to vote on online.

The first challenge will take place over two weeks as 32 pairs of cocktails face off against each other. Each week following the winners will be paired head-to-head with another winning cocktail until the four finalists compete Sept. 26 in a live tasting during the annual Taste of Pasadena hosted by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce at the Rose Bowl from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Last year’s favorite cocktail was the Broad Street Hurricane from Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Twenty Pasadena restaurants and caterers will also showcase their menu and drink offerings at the Taste of Pasadena. Admission to the food and drink event is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Those attendees each receive tickets to taste the competition cocktails and get to sample the food and drink from among Pasadena’s finest restaurants and caterers who will be showcasing their culinary expertise at the event. You can sign up and pay for Taste of Pasadena admission by clicking here.

See what cocktails are pitted against each other in the Sip-tember 2013 brackets here: http://www.pasadenarestaurantweek.com/vote/ 

Here is a list of the Sip-tember 2013 participants below. What cocktails are you looking forward to? Share in the comments. 

§  Gale’s Restaurant,

§  Vertical Wine Bistro, 

§  a/k/a an American Bistro, 

§  Toro Sushi Bar Lounge, 

§  Slater’s 50/50, 

§  Clearman’s Galley, 

§  El Cholo, 

§  New York Deli, 

§  Trattoria Neapolis, 

§  Green Street Restaurant, 

§  Colombo’s Italian Steakhouse, 

§  ix-tapa cantina, 

§  Bar Celona, 

§  California Pizza Kitchen-Pasadena,

§  Sushi Roku-Pasadena, 

§  300 Pasadena, 

§  BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse-Pasadena, 

§  Dog Haus Biergarten, 

§  POP Champagne and Dessert Bar, 

§  Salt at iPic Cinema, 

§  McCormick and Schmick’s, 

§  Kings Row Gastropub,

§  168 (OneSixtyEight)

§  The Tap Room at the Langham Pasadena, 

§  Bistro 45 

§  El Portal,

§  Haven Gastropub,

§  The Market on Holly,

§  Grill 168 at The Hilton Pasadena, 

§  Bar 1886 at The Raymond,

§  Kal’s Mediterranean Bistro