Becky Rose, a bartender at Sky Bar, is at the top of her game—and the fact that she is in the Top 30 of the USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by DIAGEO competition only proves it. This global clash picked her out of hundreds of applicants. What made her stand out? A low ABV brunch-themed cocktail inspired by the women she gets to meet with regularly.
“I have been very lucky to have been supported by strong women my entire life,” Rose said. This group of women, who all met in the bartending industry, get together regularly to celebrate accomplishments they are proud of and commiserate over shared experiences. “It is important for women to celebrate what they are doing, and I know these girls have my back.”
In an industry dominated by male bartenders, the fact that this ode to female friendship gained Rose a spot in a competition as a minority is an incredible accomplishment. Women have always surrounded her journey in competitive bartending, as her first competition was Denver’s Speed Rack—an all-female bartender competition where the proceeds benefit breast cancer research. “Denver is unique because there are so many women-led bars,” Rose explained. “There are a lot of women working at a really high level in the industry.”
As the only competitor from Colorado to make it to the Top 30, Rose hopes to bring this prestigious award back home. To do so, she must complete three challenges designed to test each contestant’s innovation, speed and sustainability. Each participant must also create 8 original cocktails in 10 minutes. To structure her menu, Rose has crafted cocktails inspired by different poems, accompanied by an embossed booklet featuring hand-drawn depictions of each drink made by her sister. “She drew those for me in like a week,” Rose laughed. “She’s a saint.”
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The World Class U.S. Finals will occur in Austin from May 16-18, where the 30 finalists will compete. Once the top five are chosen they will go on to complete two additional secret challenges, determining the winner. The winner is awarded the 2023 U.S. Bartender of the Year title and will represent the U.S. in Brazil at the Global Finals in the fall. “I didn’t know it was going to be this intense when I signed up,” Rose admitted. “But I have learned so much along the way, and I am going to win because I am a badass. That has been my mantra the last few weeks, and that is the mindset I am going in with”.
Sky Bar is located at Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Suite 311, Aurora. It is open Wednesday – Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m., Friday – Sunday, 2 to 10 p.m. and closed on Monday and Tuesday.