Last night I had the honor of being on the judging panel for the "Purrfect Martini" contest at Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club.

More than 100 cocktail recipes were sent in by Metromix readers and viewers, and Kit Kat customers. My fellow judges and I had the excruciating task of tasting each of the five finalists' entries to decide on a winner. (Oh, what it's a tough job I have!)

5^th place went to Kandy, created by Courtney Vanderwoude. Her fruity sipper was made with Absolut Citron, Absolute Pear, triple sec, melon liqueur, amaretto, splash of cranberry juice and a blue sugar rim.

4^th place went to Aurturo Correa's To The Moon: Absolut Citron, wild strawberry and melon liqueurs, a splash of simple syrup and -- talk about a blast -- a PopRocks candy rim.

3^rd place went to one of my favorite names, Violet Beauregaurd. Michael Volk's drink took its name from  Willy Wonka's gum-snapping brat who gets turned into a life-sized blueberry. The recipe included Absolut Citron, triple sec, Razzmatazz, blueberry puree and a lemon twist. (Thankfully, Volk resisted adding Violet's beloved bubblegum to this mix.)

2^nd place was The Pom Pom: Metromix reader Courtney Rickard gave us something to cheer about with her blend Absolute Citron, pomegranate liqueur, triple sec, pomegranate juice, sparkling soda, lemon and lime juice, and a splash of tea, garnished with a lemon twist.

And, drumroll please, the grand prize winner was...

Susann Fangman's Ru-Tin Tu-tin, made with Absolut, Starbucks Liqueur, a splash of green crème de menthe, a splash of cream and a cocoa rim.

The Southern belle, originally from Kentucky, told us this was based on a family recipe, which uses Kahlua in place of Starbucks, a new liqueur, relatively speaking. The lucky lady won a trip for two to Las Vegas, and, her drink will be on the Absolut VIP martini list at Kit Kat for one year. You can swing by and request your Ru-Tin Tu-tin today-it costs $11.50.

Holy cow! Yeah, the Cubs are up for sale at the end of the season, but that's not what's got us talking today: The Harry Caray's Restaurant Group announced they've taken over Hi-Tops, which is right across the street from Wrigley Field.

"With the statue of Harry right outside the front door, we knew Hi-Tops was the spot we'd been waiting for," Grant DePorter, President of HCRG, said in a press release.

Look for a more casual version of Harry Caray's to open along with the Cubs' 2008 baseball season.

Until then, HCRG will run Hi-Tops as you know it today, however they've upgraded the menus and private party packages to include Harry Caray's staples.

Have you ever plunged from the top of Six Flags Great America's "Raging Bull" coaster and thought, "Man, I could really go for a mai tai!" Well, you're in luck.


The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Gurnee theme park is expanding hard liquor sales this summer, offering margaritas, pina coladas and more at five new spots around the venue. (Beer, wine and mixed drinks are already served at the park and mixed drinks are offered at the Hurricane Harbor water park.) Is this a good idea? Are you really psyched to down a fruity cocktail before doing loops on Batman: The Ride?