Eight regional bartenders from the Louisville, Lexington and Northern Kentucky areas will go head-to-head at the 20th annual Rose Julep Cocktail Competition at Mellwood Art Center on Thursday, March 16. The contest will take place at the Kentucky Derby Festival’s “Festival Unveiled” event, beginning at 5 p.m.

The following mixologists qualified to participate in this year’s competition:

• Em Sego, North of Bourbon, Louisville, Ky.
• SC Baker, Bar Expo, Louisville, Ky.
• TJ Ghant, NoraeBar, Louisville, Ky.
• Colleen McCarthy, Martini Italian Bistro, Louisville, Ky.
• Bill Whitlow, Rich’s Proper Food & Drink, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Katie Sherman, The Break Room, Lexington, Ky.
• Romondo Tatum, Jake’s Cigar Bar, Lexington, Ky.
• Hannah Reid, Rackhouse Tavern, Lexington, Ky.

These finalists were selected from a group of more than 20 applicants to compete for the top honors of Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice. The creative mixologists have handcrafted julep recipes using Four Roses Small Batch along with an array of unique ingredients. A panel of beverage industry experts will taste and score the juleps based on aroma, creativity, taste and presentation.

The public is also invited to help judge the entries. Bourbon lovers can sample all eight Rose Julep recipes and cast their votes for the People’s Choice category. Tickets to Festival Unveiled and the Rose Julep Cocktail Competition cost $50 in advance and can be purchased online at discover.kdf.org/festival-unveiled.

Established in 1888, Four Roses combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to distill and age 10 distinct Bourbon recipes, each with its own unique flavor profile. With distilling and warehousing operations in Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek, Kentucky, respectively, Four Roses is dedicated to producing award-winning bourbons with smooth and mellow tastes and finishes. Four Roses is available in all 50 states.

For more information, visit www.fourrosesbourbon.com.