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Battle of the Bartenders: Cocktails for a Cause

Graphic of a black background with a gold glitter spread from left to right across the image. White text reads "second annual battle of the bartenders. Cocktails for a cause." A stylized image of a cocktail shaker flanks the text on the left side and an outline of a cherry sits to the right of the text. A logo for the NWW Foundation is overlaid on the cherry.

Enjoy the finest cocktails and appetizers during the Battle of the Bartenders to benefit NW Works!

The Battle of the Bartenders showcases regional bartenders creating signature cocktails, local restaurants providing scrumptious appetizers, live music, a photo booth, and the opportunity to determine the Best Bartender in the Northern Shenandoah Valley for the year! Save the date for the 2nd Annual Battle of the Bartenders on April 15, 2023 at Trumpet Vine Farm in Stephens City, VA.

Each registration includes drinks from all bartenders, appetizers from all participating restaurants, and one ticket redeemable for a full-size drink.

The bartender with the most drink tickets redeemed at their bar at the end of the night will be crowned the Best Bartender Northern Shenandoah Valley 2023!

When tickets go on sale, you can find them here: https://nwworks.kindful.com/e/2nd-annual-battle-of-the-bartenders

Check out photos below from the inaugural 2022 Battle of the Bartenders. A huge thank you to our incredible photographer, Kimberly Needles, for donating her services yet again to NW Works!

  • Image of bartender Melyssa Robinson of Mixing with Mel Mobile Bartending shaking a cocktail mixer. Mel is a middle-aged Black woman with long curly black hair. She is wearing a black t shirt with the logo for Mixing with Mel Mobile Bartending on it. In front of her is a glass beverage dispenser filled with an amber colored liquid. Whole peaches and sprigs of mint sit on top of it. Mel is smiling at someone off camera.
  • Image of bartender Melyssa Robinson of Mixing with Mel Mobile Bartending posing in front of a white backdrop with a a cocktail glass in her hand. The glass is filled with an amber colored liquid and garnished with sliced peaches and sprigs of mint. Mel is a middle-aged Black woman with long curly black hair. She is wearing a black t shirt with the logo for Mixing with Mel Mobile Bartending on it.
  • Image of bartender Shenan Hahn from the Pancake Underground holding a clear cocktail shaker filled with a dark red liquid. Shenan is a young Caucasian woman with several tattoos on her arms and short wave brown hair styled in a bob. She is wearing a black t shirt with the Pancake Underground's logo on it and a denim skirt.
  • Image of bartender Cami Buracker from Vault and Cellar pouring a drink from a copper cocktail mixer into a small tasting glass. Cami is a young Caucasian woman with long blonde hair tied back into a bun. She is wearing a maroon blouse and a floral patterned skirt.
  • Close up image of a hand holding a small tasting glass filled with a bright red liquid, garnished with small blue and purple blossoms.
  • Image of bartender Jennifer Schaefer from Monument pouring a drink for a guest. Jennifer is a middle aged Caucasian woman with long brown hair tied in a pony tail. She is wearing a blue shirt with the logo for All state insurance on it. Jennifer pours a gold liquid from a large glass beverage dispenser into a small tasting cup.
  • Close up image of hands pouring a drink from a silver beverage dispenser into a small tasting glass.
  • Image of Greg Armstrong of the Hideaway Cafe handing a small tasting glass filled with a dark brown beverage to someone off camera. Greg is a middle-aged Caucasian man with a light brown beard and mustache. He is wearing a green newsboy style cap, a black dress shirt, and blue jeans.
  • Image of a room full of people. At the forefront of the image is a woman, smiling and holding a cocktail. The woman appears to be African American and has light brown skin with long curly brown hair. To the left of the image are several bartenders working at a makeshift bar station. Many people can be seen in the background.
  • A two middle-aged Caucasian women smile and appear to be talking to someone off screen. Behind them are many other people in the background.
  • Image of a middle aged Caucasian woman smiling and waving to the viewer. She is purchasing red raffle tickets from people who can be partially seen to her left. Behind the woman, many people mill about.
  • Image of three older Caucasian people. On the left is a taller man with short gray hair and a clean shaven face. He is wearing a blue and green plaid shirt and jeans. In the center is a shorter woman who has short gray hair. She is wearing glasses and has a brown and gray plaid coat on. On the right is a man with long gray hair and a large gray mustache. He is wearing a black and white plaid shirt. Behind them are many people at an event.
  • A group of 11 Caucasian people stand together at an event. They are mostly middle aged, with a mix of men and women.
  • Image of a gold and white poster with the words "Thanks to our amazing sponsors" on it. The following companies are listed as sponsors: "winchester foreign and domestic, Fortessa tableware solutions, First Bank, The Winchester Group, Bernice and Fred Rowan, Barry and Katy Creek, Marcy Obenchain of All State insurance, Blue Peacock Antiques, Dr. Dave Leadership Corporation, Dream Weaver Team, Full Circle Marketing, Nina J Design Studios, Norvac Lock Technology Inc., Richard Kozlow Shair of NW Works Board of Directors, YHB, 105.5 Winc FM, and Kimberly Needles Photography.
  • Image of a gold and white poster with the words Thanks to our Bartenders on it. Logos and names for the following companies are on the board: Greg Armstrong and the Hideaway Cafe, Jennifer Schaefer and the Monument, Shenan Hahn and the Pancake Underground, Emily Jenkins and the Paladin Bar and Grill, Melyssa Robinson and Mixing with Mel Mobile Bartending, and Cami Buracker and Vault and Cellar.
  • Image of two Black women smiling at the viewer, standing in front of a white backdrop. On the left is the younger of the two women, who has shoulder length curly black hair. She wears a lacy black blouse and gray jeans. On the right is an older Black woman who has shoulder length curly red hair. She wears a black turtleneck sweater and blue jeans.
  • Image of two Caucasian women talking excitedly. The woman on the left has shoulder length curly blonde hair and is smiling broadly. She wears a black lacy sweater and is holding red raffle tickets in her hands. On the right is a middle aged woman with shoulder length curly brown hair. She is turned away from the camera but it appears she is talking. She is wearing a black , green, blue and white patterned sweater. Behind them there is an event going on with lots of people.
  • Image of a young Asian woman holding up a small forks. She is smiling and laughing at the photographer. She is wearing a purple polo shirt with NW Works logo on it and black jeans. In front of her are many small gold plates with meatballs and a red sauce on them.
  • Image of a middle-aged Caucasian woman smiling at something off camera and holding a long string of red raffle tickets. She is wearing white jeans and a white and black striped sweater. The woman has short brown hair. Behind her are a number of people standing around and talking.
  • Image of an older Caucasian man smiling while holding a small tasting glass
  • Image of bartender Shenan Hahn from the Pancake Underground pouring a drink from a clear cocktail shaker filled with a dark red liquid into a small tasting glass. Shenan is a young Caucasian woman with several tattoos on her arms and short wave brown hair styled in a bob. She is wearing a black t shirt with the Pancake Underground's logo on it and a denim skirt.
  • Image of a middle-aged Caucasian woman speaking to another person, who has their back to the camera. The woman in focus is smiling and has long brown hair. She is wearing a flowy green blouse and has one hand on her hip.
  • Image of a young Caucasian woman with shoulder length brown hair smiling at the viewer. She is holding a trophy with a cocktail glass on it. Behind her, many people can be seen enjoying an event.
  • Image of caucasian hands holding two cocktail glasses. The glasses are filled with a dark red liquid, ice cubes, a wedge of lemon, and a sprig of thyme.
  • Bartender Shenan Hahn of The Pancake Underground pours a cocktail from a glass cocktail shaker into a large cocktail glass. The liquid is dark red. Shenan is a young Caucasian woman with short dark brown hair.
  • Image of a red cocktail garnished with a large lemon wedge sitting atop a wooden cake stand. A single yellow flower leans against the cocktail glass. In the background, a large floral arrangement can be seen, alongside a basket full of lemons.
  • Image of three middle-aged Caucasian people stand together for a photo. They are all smiling. Behind them is picturesque farm land. On the left is a man wearing a black suit jacket and pink button down shirt. In the center is a woman with long brown hair, wearing a brown jacket and a light brown purse. On the right is a woman with shoulder length brown hair who is wearing a brown fedora hat and a black sweater with floral patterns.
  • Image of a middle aged Caucasian couple. On the left is a woman with curly shoulder length brown hair. She is wearing a black blouse with a green, white, and blue patterned vest. On the right is a bald man with a white and brown beard, wearing a pink and white plaid shirt and a black down vest. Behind them is picturesque farmland.
  • Image of a middle-aged Caucasian woman smiling with a red-colored cocktail in her hand. She has shoulder length blonde hair and is wearing a black dress.
  • Close up image of a cocktail glass filled with a dark brown liquor and ice, garnished with an orange wedge.
  • Close up image of a light brown colored cocktail, garnished with slices of peach and sprigs of mint.
  • Image of an older Caucasian couple smiling at the viewer. The man is on the left side, and he wears a navy and gold jacket with military patches on it. The baseball cap on his head says VFW. Holding his arm is the woman, who has short silver hair. She wears blue glasses and a black and white patterned top. Behind them, there is an event going on with lots of people.
  • Image of two blonde middle aged Caucasian women smiling at the camera and clinking their cocktails together. Both women hold drinks with a light brown liquid in it, garnished with sliced peaches and sprigs of mint. Behind them, many other people can be seen.
  • Image of a young Caucasian woman mixing a cocktail in a silver cocktail shaker. She has long blonde hair pulled back into a bun and is wearing a maroon blouse. Behind her is a banner with a lock and key on it with the words Vault and Cellar.
  • Image of a middle aged Caucasian man dancing behind a bar. In front of him is a make-shift bar with cocktail ingredients on it.
  • Image of a middle-aged Caucasian woman pouring a clear liquor into a silver cocktail mixer. In front of her is a makeshift bar with various ingredients and bottles of alcohol on it. The woman has long brown hair tied back into a pony tail and is wearing a blue t shirt with the logo for All State insurance on it.
  • Image of a middle aged Caucasian couple. On the left is a woman with short blonde hair who is wearing a pink and white striped jacket. On the right is a man with short gray hair and a gray beard, wearing a turquoise sweater.
  • Image of someone holding a bright red cocktail. The drink is garnished with a lemon slice and sprigs of thyme.
  • Image of two middle aged Caucasian women with brown hair standing together on either side of a banner with the words "Music courtesy of dedicated supporters Bernice and Fred Rowan."
  • Image of a tiered pastry stand with cupcakes on it. The cupcakes have a white frosting with sprinkled lime zest on them and a lime wedge as a garnish.
  • Image of two middle-aged Caucasian people. On the left is a man with short gray hair and a cleanshaven face. He is wearing glasses, a black dress shirt and a black jacket. On the right is a woman with blonde hair just above her shoulder, who is wearing a black blouse and a black jacket. Behind them, many people can be seen at an event.
  • Image of 2 Caucasian men and a caucasian woman standing together and smiling. On the left is a young Caucasian man with short brown hair and a brown mustache. He is wearing a green sweater and blue jeans. In the center of the image is a young Caucasian woman with shoulder length brown hair. She is wearing a black blouse and a brown skirt. She is holding a trophy with a cocktail glass on it. On the right is a tall, middle-aged Caucasian man wearing a white baseball cap, a blue blazer and blue jeans. Behind them, many people are standing talking and enjoying an event.
  • Image of a group of seven people standing together in front of a picturesque farmland background. Everyone in the photo is smiling.
  • Image of 11 people standing in a line and one woman sitting on the floor. The people gathered are employees of NW Works. Behind them are several bunches of balloons.
  • Image of seven people standing inside a banquet hall. They are all smiling with their arms around each other.
  • Image of a middle-aged Caucasian woman smiling and writing on something. Beside her stands a middle-aged caucasian man, smiling and looking at whatever the woman is holding. The item the woman is holding is obstructed from view by red boxes that say "vote" on them. In the background, other people can be seen, including a woman who is mixing a cocktail.
  • Image of seven people standing together. They are the bartenders who participated in the battle of the bartenders event.
  • Image of a Caucasian man and a Caucasian woman standing next to each other, smiling broadly. Both are wearing black t shirts with the words Bull Shirt on them. The man is on the left and he is looking at the woman. The woman is holding up her hands with her fingers crossed and looking up toward the ceiling.
  • Image of a Caucasian man and a Caucasian woman standing next to each other, smiling broadly at each other. Both are wearing black t shirts with the words Bull Shirt on them.
  • Image of two people celebrating. On the left is a Caucasian man with a brown beard and wearing a black baseball cap. He is leaning back with an excited look on his face. To his right is a blonde woman with a wide grin, clapping. She has a very excited look on her face.
  • Image of several people standing together clapping. On the left is a caucasian man in a black t shirt clapping. Beside him is a blonde caucasian woman cheering. To her right is another blonde caucasian woman who is clapping but does not look happy. On the far right is a brunette Caucasian woman who is also clapping.
  • Image of two young Caucasian women smiling. On the left is one woman, with shoulder length brown hair and who is wearing a long-sleeved black blouse and a velvet skirt. She is handing a trophy with a cocktail glass on it to the woman on the right. The woman on the right is very excited. Her long blonde hair is tied into a bun and she is wearing a black t shirt that says Bull shirt on it. A Caucasian man can be seen in the background.
  • Image of three women standing side by side. On the left side is a young Caucasian woman with shoulder length brown hair. She is wearing a black blouse with a brown velvet shirt. In the center is a smiling Caucasian woman with long curly blonde hair tied up in a bun. She is holding a trophy with a cocktail on it and is wearing a black t shirt that has the words Bull shirt on it. On the right is a middle-aged Caucasian woman with shoulder length curly brown hair. She is wearing a black blouse with a green, white and blue patterned vest.
  • Image of a young Caucasian woman smiling and holding a trophy that is made to look like a cocktail. She has long curly blonde hair tied up in a bun. She is wearing a black t shirt that says Bull shirt on it.
  • Image of three people standing together. In the center is a young Caucasian woman smiling and holding a trophy that features a cocktail class. On either side of her are two Caucasian men smiling and pointing at the trophy. All three people wear black t shirts that said "Bull shirt!" on them.

Meet Our 2022 Bartenders

Image of The Hideaway Cafe's logo. Text reading the Hideaway Cafe overlays a white background. On the right side of the image, there is a rainbow pride flag.
Image of logo. Text on the image reads "mixing with Mel Mobile bartending" and a graphic of a martini glass with pink liquid inside and a lime wedge on the rim on the glass. The facade of a woman wearing high heels and with long flowing hair is shown lounging inside the martini glass.
Image of Paladin Bar and Grill's logo. On the lefthand side of the image is an illustration of a green bull inside of a green circle. Beside the bull is green text which reads Paladin Bar and Grill.
Image of the Pancake Underground's logo. It is a black and white illustration of a mobile camper with flowers above and below the vehicle. Text on the image reads The Pancake Underground.
Image of logo. Text reads Vault and Cellar, overlaid against a white background with the image of an old-fashioned key.
Image of text reading Jennifer Schaefer.

Thanks to Our 2022 Sponsors

Gold Gibsons

Image of logo. Text reads Winchester Foreign & Domestic, overlaid against a minimalist illustration suggesting a car.
Image of Fortessa Tableware Solutions logo. Black and gray text over transparent background.

Silver Screwdrivers

Black text over a white background. Script writing reads Barry and Katy Creek.
Image of Logo for First Bank. Gray text reads First Bank, there's power in one. To the right of the text is a white numeral 1 inside a red circle. The logo is a registered trademark..

Bronze Bellinis

Dream Weaver Team | Novac Lock Technology, Inc | YHB CPAs and Consultants
Dr. Dave Leadership Corp. | Full Circle Marketing | Nina J. Design Studio
Marcy Obenchain Allstate Insurance | Blue Peacock Antiques
Richard Kozlow: Chair, NW Works Board of Directors

DJ Sponsor

Image of black script text over a white background. Text reads Bernice and Fred Rowan.

Photo Booth Sponsor

Logo for the Winchester Group. Image of green text on a white background reading TWG insurance. A seal with the words 20th anniversary is perched on top of the W. Below the first line of text is a line break and additional text which reads The Winchester Group. www.twg-insurance.com

In-Kind Sponsors

Light blue oval with white text reading 105.5 winc.fm.
Logo. Green floral design above the words Kimberly Needles Photography.

Culinary Sponsors

Image of a company logo. Logo consists of a food truck with illustrations of sandwiches and hamburgers on it, with text reading "crash test yummies" on it.
Image of a logo. Black outline of a heart, with a large D and H overlaid. Image of 2 chef knives, purple grapes, and a red glass of wine overlay the DH. Text reading DAH Cuisine flanks the heart.
Image of a pastry platter with cakes, bread, and other baked goods. Text below it reads Downtown Catering Company.
Image of a logo. A stylized T is adorned with florals. Below is reads the words Tiers in Heaven Cake Studio against a blush background.
Logo. Image of a blue steak with the stylized text T bone's overlaid.