Two local business women, Lisa Carter of Drinkwater Productions and Christie Bellany of Infinite Event Concepts, have put their skills together to launch Shake & Stir Cocktail Tasting and Competition in Portsmouth.
On Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2, Shake & Stir will bring back the Portsmouth Cocktail Competition along with a Grand Tasting Hall, Distiller Talks, Mixology Seminars, a Signature Luncheon with Boston Legend Brother Cleve and a Gospel Brunch with Sympli Whitney.
“We really wanted to create something new and exciting to support local distillers and to bring the community together,” says Carter. “It’s been a lot of work, but everyone I’ve talked to loves the concept.”
The two owners met at a networking event in late 2018 and within a few months developed the idea for the competition over sushi at a local hot spot. “It just came so naturally,” says Bellany, who recently expanded her Boston-based events and marketing business to NH. “Lisa and I just kept throwing out ideas and deciding who could handle what, and the next day we just got started on it. It’s been a lot of fun!”
The Portsmouth Cocktail Competition kicks off at the Sheraton’s Two Fifty Market and guests continue the cocktail craw through downtown venues. After the competition, guests vote for Portsmouth’s best cocktail at an awards ceremony.
Carter and Bellany plan to bring Shake & Stir to more cities later this year, and will certainly be back in Portsmouth next June.
Current Issue - April 2024