AUSTIN, Texas — Austin bartender Terance Robson has been crowned the "Best Bartender in Texas"!
Robson won the 2019 Garrison Brothers Bourbon Brawl on Thursday, May 2 after competing in a three-round matchup against four other finalists from across the state.
Robson, who works for Here Nor There in Austin, won $10,000 and a barrel of bourbon from Garrison Brothers Distillery.
To make it to the final round, the five finalists had to first win their hometown semi-final. Prior to that, each competitor participated in The Bourbon Takeover of Texas, a full week during which 50 bars and restaurants featured cocktails incorporating Garrison Brothers 2019 Small Batch Bourbon.
As the winner of the Bourbon Brawl, Robson now has the opportunity to craft the official cocktail of Dallas Restaurant Week, instruct a series of cocktail classes at Total Wine and More locations throughout Texas and guest bartend at Whiskey on the Rock in Las Vegas.
One of the cocktails that got Robson to the finals is the "Straight Outta Dublin," his take on an Irish Coffee. It’s a hot cocktail with a cool whipped topping inspired by his favorite childhood dessert, banoffee pie.
“My mom was a pastry chef. My brother is a chef. My sister is a chef; well, a very good chef and sommelier. My granny was a chef, so my aunties are also all great chefs,” Robson said.
Robson, who is from Ireland, already knows what he's going to do with his prize money.
“My mom and my sister and my friend Nick’s mom have never been to Austin, so I’m going to buy them all flights over," he said.
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