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Speak of the Devil bartenders to compete in Old Fashioned Invitational

Three local bartenders will go head to head to head Jan. 17, according to Kurt Hernon, co-owner of Speak of the Devil, 201 W. Fifth St. in downtown Lorain.

But only one can take the grand prize: a spot on the bar’s next menu of specialty cocktails to debut later this year, Hernon said.

The Lorain cocktail bar’s annual Old Fashioned Invitational will take a more personal turn this year, Hernon said.

Speak of the Devil’s three in-house bartenders will compete against each other in a contest where the customer always is right, he said.

“We learned last year, the public wanted to try a bunch of them,” Hernon said. “We came up with the idea of, let’s do it in-house.

“The drink that wins will be on the next menu. That’s why it’s the people’s choice.”

Hernon spoke highly of his bartenders, each of whom have prepared their own spin on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail.

A flight of the three drinks will be available for $12 on the night of the contest, he said.

“They all come from very different places with their flavor profiles, things that they like,” Hernon said of the contestants. “I think you’re going to get three very, very distinct, different old fashions out of this, which is kind of cool.”

The bartenders

Wyatt Langer, 28, will compete for the menu spot with a drink he labeled as a different cocktail wearing the mask of an old fashioned.

While secretive about the exact ingredients he will use, he said he wanted to reverse engineer his favorite flavors with completely new ingredients.

“It’s unique, but it’s also heavily inspired by a drink I already kind of know and love,” Langer said. “I wanted to make something that had a similar flavor, but with completely different ingredients.

“In a lot of ways, it’s not really unique at all, but in other ways, it’s kind of completely different.”

Langer said his spin on the classic is going to be polarizing, but the hope is that more people love it than hate it.

Although risky, the flavor profile of the drink makes it a gamble he is willing to make, he said.

Noah Allen, 27, said he took a similar approach to the mixology process as Langer.

Taking inspiration from a different drink he once had, Allen said his version of the old fashioned speaks to his wider background as a bartender.

“This is the only place I’ve ever worked at in terms of a bar,” he said. “Before this, I was drinking 40 ounces and boxed wine.

“Because of that, my philosophy is basically just this bar’s (philosophy) because it was the only thing I was ever taught. A lot of times, we keep it very simple.”

Allen said he believes that limitation lead to creativity.

By working within the traditional framework of cocktails, he said he feels he has created a drink that completely is new.

“It will be fun, if you like strong drinks,” Allen said of the contest.

Jack Maple, 28, called his drink “nostalgic” for most people who grew up in the United States.

Using that nostalgia factor to guide the creation of the drink, Maple said his edition of the old fashioned feels comforting.

“Nostalgia would probably be the biggest factor in making it unique,” he said. “What I’m using is something that’s nostalgic to most people.

“I’ve been working in bars and restaurants since I was 14.”

While working on Kelleys Island, Maple transitioned to mixology and quickly landed at Speak of the Devil.

Maple said he and the Speak of the Devil staff constantly are working to help mixology newcomers feel more comfortable around cocktails.

The hope, he explained, is that his old fashioned is a good gateway to those willing to try new things.

There also is a chance, Hernon said, that the Old Fashioned Invitational’s current defending champion will be in town for the contest.

Bartender Brandon Muske from Maggie’s Farm Distillery in Pittsburgh may appear to either defend his title or present this year’s winner to the Speak of the Devil crowd, Hernon said.

The second annual Speak of the Devil Old Fashioned Invitational will take place Jan. 17.

Customer voting ends at 9 p.m., Hernon said.