Bar brawl!

Photos:

Editor's note: Voting has closed. Tune in Oct. 1 for the announcement of Best Bartender 2008.

Ready to rumble? Our Best Bartender finalists sure are. After being chosen out of  our list of 10 to face off at our competition, these talented ’tenders are ready to earn your vote for the title of Metromix Best Bartender 2008.

Now that you've watched them in action and sampled their signature drinks at our Best Bartender Bash Sept. 24, cast your vote using the poll at right. You've got until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 28 to root for your favorite -- so get voting already!

Did our cameras catch you at our Best Bartender Bash? Click here to see our party photo gallery.



Jes Rickleff, 24
Spybar

Her drink: The Stoli Splash Shot (blueberry and raspberry vodka with splashes of sour mix, Red Bull and peach schnapps)

The backstory: Rickleff dreamed up this shot in honor of her own love for flavored vodkas.  “I’m a huge Stoli drinker,” she says. “[The shot is] not necessarily fruity; it just has a lot of different flavors on it, and it’s on the sweeter side—almost lemonade-y.”

Emirano “Manu” Eperiam, 28
NV Penthouse Lounge

His drink: The Greed Martini (strawberries, lemonade, pear vodka and pomegranate liqueur topped off with sparkling liqueur)

The backstory: This martini is Eperiam’s favorite on NV’s cocktail list. “It’s very tasty, yet very potent. I like it because I enjoy the effort put into it,” he says. “And I love the name, because once you have one, you’ve gotta get another one.”

Dani Hoyler, 24
Sheffield’s

Her drink: Dani’s Lemonade (raspberry rum, lemonade and a splash of soda)

The backstory: “I’m a huge beer girl and I was a regular [at Sheffield’s] before I started working there,” says Hoyler. Not all of her customers are as fond of beer as she is, though. “We always have people come in who are like, ‘Do you have Mike’s Hard Lemonade?’ and we’re like, ‘Uhhh, no.’” That’s where this fruity alternative comes in.

Olivia Shanks, 31
Debonair Social Club and Sonotheque

Her drink: The Delicious Shot (vodka, sour mix and fresh lime)

The backstory: This simple shot is Shanks’ go-to when her regulars want to do a round. “It’s not too hard and it’s not too boring,” she says. “It’s a nice, clean, easygoing shot that will go with whatever you want to drink [later in the night].”

Jim Gaut, 28
Reagle Beagle

His drink: The Chi-pirinha (cachaca, raspberry syrup, blueberries, lime and a splash of lemon-lime soda)

The backstory: This is Gaut’s Chicago-centric take on the Brazilian caipirinha, with the raspberry syrup and blueberries representing the red and blue of the Chicago flag. “I liked [the caipirinha] so much when I had it the first time I decided to throw a flavor twist on it,” he says. “It’s kind of like a mojito without the mint, but it’s meant to be stronger.”

Metromix photos by Barry Brecheisen.
Lisa Arnett is the Metromix nightlife and shopping producer. lmarnett@tribune.com.