Tapped In
Bartending trends have turned back to the basics, but mixologist Jennifer Contraveos' thinking is spring fresh. Contraveos, an assistant manager at River North's Graze, just took home first prize in the Shake It Up Battle of the Mixologists March 6 at The Show in Las Vegas, an annual convention and trade show for the nightlife and hospitality industry. She scored a spot in this national competition -- battling 23 other bartenders -- by submitting her original drink recipe for the Citrine: English cucumber and tangerine segments muddled with hand-squeezed lime juice, a half ounce of Grand Marnier, and one ounce of Belvedere vodka shaken and served up with a candied orange zest garnish. "You really have to put your heart and soul into a drink and make it with fresh ingredients," she explains. In the finals, Contraveos had to think on her feet Iron Chef-style to create an original concoction using a mystery ingredient-the thick Banana Rum Pineapple Jam. "If I can use a jam, I can use anything," Contraveos says. While the Banana Rum Pineapple Jam cocktail's not on the menu, you can try the dynamic, complex flavors of the Citrine ($10) on the the newly launched spring cocktail menu at Graze.