While the rest of the country focuses on national elections, here in Park City our attention has turned to a far less sordid affair: the Park City Area Restaurant Association's annual Summer Cocktail Contest. That's right, between July 1st and July 31st all libation lovers will have their chance to taste and vote for their favorite apertif. You can vote online, ranking each cocktail on a scale of 1-to-10 for both taste and presentation. 

The Brass Tag's Evangeline (a tasteful blend of Beehive Distillery Jackrabbit Gin, cassis vinegar, basil-infused Utah honey, and rose lemonade) took the title last year.  This delightful cocktail beat out 17 competitors to be crowned the winner, with a perfect score of 10 out of 10. 

The mixologists at the Brass Tag have a new cocktail on the menu this time around and are hoping to defend their title against the 20 restaurants that have entered this year. Given the number of top-notch restaurants in town, the cocktail creators are vying for bragging rights (and a $200 prize). Even better, it gives all Park City residents and visitors the chance to sample some seriously delicious drinks.

So without further ado, for your consideration, we present the 20 restaurants and their respective cocktail entries:

1. Billy Blanco's: The Firewater
2. Deer Valley Grocery-Café: Hard Green Tea
3. Flanagan’s On Main: Blood Orange and Smoked Serrano Margarita
4. Fletcher’s: Manhattan Beach
5. Ghidotti's: Gin on a Tangent
6. Grappa: Fiorello (little flower)
7. Lespri Prime Steak Sushi: Some Golfer
8. Molly Blooms Gastropub: Mulligan Limonata
9. Powder at Waldorf Astoria Park City: Blackberry Jalapeno Margarita
10. Red Rock Junction: Farm & Feed
11. Red Tail Grill: Greens Fee
12. Royal Street Café: Strawberry Scrub Collins
13. Silver Star Café: The LaBounty Bourbon Ice Bomb
14. Squatters: Handsome Zach’s Apricot 75
15. Sushi Blue: The Powder Hound
16. The Brass Tag: Hawkeye
17. Tupelo: Sweet Summer Heat
18. Wahso: S.S.
19. Wasatch Brew Pub: Basil Trance
20. Windy Ridge Café: Garden-2-Glass

Savor the flavor of these summer cocktails and don't forget to cast your vote! The winner will be announced in August.