After making a spirited comeback last year with a live-stage cocktail contest, the Park City Area Restaurant Association’s Mountain Mixer returns to Deer Valley’s Silver Lake Lodge on August 22 with even more flair. This year’s event promises to raise the bar with an expanded outdoor space and imaginative new drink experiences.

“We are excited to showcase the talented mixologists we have in the community,” says Ginger Wicks, executive director of the restaurant association.

Local mixologists are encouraged to push their creativity further than ever by submitting both a cocktail and a mocktail—opening the door to a broader, more inclusive showcase of craft and flavor. “Mocktails are one of the fastest-growing segments in the beverage industry,” says Wicks.

Submissions are due by June 19, and all featured drinks must appear on restaurant menus throughout the summer. From there, anonymous “secret judges” will sip their way through the entries to select the top 10 cocktails and top three mocktails. Those finalists will then take center stage in a lively, head-to-head competition to crown this year’s champions.

For the live event, a special panel of judges will be flown in, adding even more personality and prestige to the competition. Last year’s judges included Giancarlo Morelli, a Michelin star chef from Spain and the force behind iconic restaurants like Bulk Mixology Bar and Pomiroeu. Also judging were the James Beard Award–winning author Jim Meehan and Ben Usen, the coffee guru turned cocktail connoisseur.

Although the event originated almost 20 years ago, Mountain Mixer Park City rebranded itself with the inaugural live event last summer, selling out its 250 seats and prompting organizers to expand it to accommodate 500. The audience has the opportunity to vote on the drinks along with the judges, and all the scores are totaled. A cocktail book will be created after the event, showcasing the winners. 

Tickets to the event go on sale in July and can be purchased on the Park City Area Restaurant Association website. 

2025 Mountain Mixer Winners

1ST PLACE: Melt, mixed by AJ Anderson from Handle restaurant. This bold and complex cocktail features High West Double Rye and Pusser’s British Navy rum, along with a flavored ice cube with a cherry inside—described as a tropical, fruity, tiki-style drink. 

2ND PLACE: Nebbia, mixed by Katelyn Fraser from Butcher’s Chop House & Bar. This creamy, botanical, and tea-kissed drink is described as a London Fog meets craft cocktail and includes Gray Whale gin, Frangelico, Earl Grey, and spices like ginger root and cinnamon.

3RD PLACE: Ube Halo, mixed by Charles Vincent Franco from Grub Steak. It’s a vibrant, tropically twisted concoction with white rum, coconut cream, lime juice, and agave, described as a Filipino sunset in a glass. Topped with coconut strips.