Stirreth, Shaketh, Bring it!

barenjager Hear ye, hear ye! All mixologists of experience long and short are being asked to submit recipes for their most palate-tingling concoctions for several competitions happening this month, some with deadlines fast approaching. The question is, do you have the skills to pay the bills?

  • We Shoot Cocktails' Cocktail & Tweet contest: mixologists, brand ambassadors, and spirit consultants are invited to follow cocktail photographers We Shoot Cocktails on Twitter, tweet about the contest, and submit a recipe. The winning cocktail will be chosen at random to be professionally photographed. Deadline: Aug. 17.
  • Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur is holding its first-ever cocktail throwdown at an undisclosed location in NoHo on Sept. 15. To get there, you must be one of five New York bartender/mixologists whose recipe containing Bärenjäger is invited to compete in the final round. Bärenjäger, a sweet honey liqueur from the 15th century, is made in Germany with honey sourced from the Mexican province of Yucatan. The judges who will decide the final five are author/guru Gary Regan, Allen Katz of Southern Wine & Spirits, Julie Reiner of Clover Club, and spirits writer Jack Robertiello. The grand prize winner will receive an all-expense paid trip for two to Oktoberfest 2009 in Munich, Germany. Recipes can be submitted through Bärenjäger's website. Deadline: Aug. 25.
  • The Ultimate Cocktail for a Cure competition is inviting both amateur drink-makers and professionals in the bar industry to submit recipes containing SENCE rose nectar and at least one other sponsored ingredient. No more than seven ingredients may be used, including spirits. Judges include U.S. Bartender's Guild National Ambassador Tony Abou-Ganim, Tobin Ellis of BarMagic Las Vegas, and Steve Olson of Aka Wine Geek and B.A.R. Entries can be submitted through the competition website. The finals are going to be held in Las Vegas on Oct. 26 at Springs Preserve. Deadline: Aug. 31.

Selena Ricks-Good

Selena Ricks-Good is a New York-based writer and digital strategist with more than 15 years in journalism, brand development, and content marketing. Her writing on food, drinks, travel, and culture has appeared in CBS New York, Time Out New York, Village Voice, and Thrillist. She founded Little Good Life to fill the gap she kept hitting in her own life: thoughtful, opinionated travel writing for families whose kids are past the stroller years. She lives in New York with her husband and a travel-soccer-playing teenage son who has firm opinions about crudo, boba, and pizza.