Meet the Cocktail Divas

4 oz maple syrup

4 egg whites

6 oz water

2 oz lemon juice

Preparation: Assemble all ingredients in mixing glass and top with maple syrup foam.

Garnish : candied orange zest and rosemary sprig

About Mariena: It is not unusual to find Mariena Mercer's nose in a book, whether it be perusing the parallels of molecular gastronomy to studying the frame work of Pre-Prohibition cocktails. Being a second generation native to Las Vegas, Mariena has always been interested in the food and beverage industry, looking to the glamorous allure of the strip. You've probably seen Mariena compete in various competitions or behind the stick somewhere but these days you can find her as the mixologist and GM for the Cosmopolitan.

Her Inspiration for the Cocktail: "I really wanted to play off the warm flavors of the Maker's 46; highlight the cinnamon, vanilla and tobacco with the orange and rosemary."

2nd Place:
Kristen Schaefer
Venue: The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas



Cocktail: "The Blue Grass Shuffle"

2 barspoons of Blueberry Preserves

3/4 oz Fresh Lemon

1 oz Egg White

2 dash of Fees Orange Bitters

1/2 Noilly Prat Sweet Vermouth

1.5 oz Makers Mark 46

Preparation: Add all ingredients. Shake and strain.

Garnish: Two pieces of wheat grass.

About Kristen: A bartender for 8 years, Kristen has made her way up. Competing regularly in various cocktail comps,opening bars around the nation and training hundreds of bartenders, she has proven her skill as a female mixologist. Now currently working as a mixologist on the beverage team of the new Cosmopolitan, Kristen hopes to further establish her place a female in male dominant field.

Her Inspiration for the Cocktail: "I wanted to take a feminine approach to this cocktail, while trying not to dominate the flavor profile of Makers 46. So the use of blueberry, gives a nice sweetness and beautiful color without overpowering the Makers 46." 


3rd Place:
Heidi Welniak
Sence Rose Nectar Mixologist, USA



Cocktail: "The Iron Angel"

1 1/2 oz Makers 46

My Grandmother came over on the boat from Germany in 1904, wishing for a new life as many immigrants of that time did. She was raised in the "old school" way of female thought to be subservient to a man's wishes and wants.. but this was America... a new life, with new sets of rules, not under the watchful eye of the German Government. She did what was required of her, excelled in her studies, and learned everything about the land of opportunity while growing into a young woman. She loved the freedoms afforded to her and her family in this new land, but was amazed to see how women still had lesser freedoms than their male counterparts. She realized that the rules of the female in America,were not so different than those of the homeland she had left so long ago, this did not sit very well with a young woman who wanted a better life for herself, and for the life of her future children.

Being the intelligent, defiant, young woman that she was, she set out to help a movement that would forever live in the history books of the United States... Women’s Suffrage. Grandma picked up her banner, and marched for a freedom that most females of today take for granted, The Right to VOTE. Grandma found her voice at a very young age, and never again let anyone quiet her, and on January 26, 1920, the United States Government passed a bill giving Women the Right to Vote in any official election.

My grandmother taught my Mother to always stand for what she believed in, to never back down from what you feel is right and just, and to always be independent no matter what. I was taught by my mother these same sets of rules and follow them with the same passion that they did."

4th Place:
Wendy Verdel-Hodges
Venue: Fusion Mixology Bar, Las Vegas

  Cocktail: "Gilded Hooch"

1oz Makers 46
1oz Orange Curacao
1oz fresh orange juice
.5 oz Navan
1.5 oz egg whites
3-4 drops orange bitters