Elijah Craig A New Era of the Old-Fashioned Cocktail Contest: Win $15,000 Cash and a Louisville Trip

Could your signature Old-Fashioned cocktail put you in the spotlight and earn you $15,000? The A New Era of the Old-Fashioned Cocktail Contest presented by Elijah Craig Bourbon and VinePair celebrates original cocktail creations with a grand prize featuring cash, a Louisville finale experience, and a prominent feature in an upcoming Old-Fashioned recipe book. Show off your creativity and cocktail craftsmanship for a chance to turn your original recipe into a winning creation!

Limit

• Limit one submission per person throughout the entry period. Duplicate submissions will be disqualified.
• Entrants must be at least 21 years old and lawful permanent residents or citizens of the United States, including Washington, DC.
• Void for residents of Alabama, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Utah, Vermont, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and all other U.S. territories, possessions, and commonwealths.
• Employees and specified family or household members of the sponsor, VinePair, Southern Smoke Foundation, alcohol regulatory agencies, and licensed beverage alcohol industry businesses are ineligible.
• No purchase, payment, or alcohol consumption is required to enter or win.

How to Enter - A New Era of the Old-Fashioned Cocktail Contest

Free Online Entry:

• Visit https://vinepair.com/elijah-craig-old-fashioned-competition.
• Complete the online registration form.
• Create an original Old-Fashioned cocktail recipe featuring at least one ounce of Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Bourbon, or Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey.
• Provide the cocktail name, ingredient list, detailed preparation instructions, glassware, garnish, and any homemade ingredient recipes.
• Upload a color photograph of your prepared cocktail.
• Explain the inspiration or creative thinking behind your cocktail.
• Submit your completed entry for judging.

Recipes must contain no more than five ingredients, excluding garnishes and homemade ingredients, and may not exceed six ounces in total volume or 2.5 ounces of combined alcoholic ingredients measured at 40% ABV. Entries must be original, previously unpublished, and replicable at scale.

Semi-Finalist Video Submission:

The ten selected semi-finalists must submit a video preparing and presenting their original cocktail by 01/05/2027 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time to remain eligible for finalist selection and the grand prize.

Random Drawing

This is a skill-based cocktail competition. Winners are determined by judges rather than a random drawing.

• Ten semi-finalists will be selected based on flavor, creativity, cocktail name, presentation, and Elijah Craig product use. Semi-finalists will be notified on or about 12/10/2026.
• Five finalists will be selected from semi-finalist video submissions and notified by 01/22/2027.
• Finalists must be available to travel to Louisville, Kentucky, from 02/22/2027 through 02/25/2027.
• The live finale takes place on 02/24/2027 in Louisville, Kentucky.
• Finalists will be judged on flavor (25 points), creativity (20), cocktail name (5), presentation (10), product use (10), technique and craft (15), and brand knowledge (15).
• The highest-scoring finalist wins the grand prize. The remaining finalists receive runner-up prizes according to their rankings.
• Winners may be notified by email, telephone, text message, or verbally at the live event. Required eligibility and release documents must be returned within 72 hours of the first notification attempt.

Prizes - A New Era of the Old-Fashioned Cocktail Contest

Grand Prize:

• Number of winners: 1.
• Prize: $15,000 cash paid by check or wire transfer.
• A featured spread highlighting the winner and their original cocktail in the second edition of the sponsor's Old-Fashioned recipe book, scheduled for release in 2027.
• Featured content on VinePair.com.
• Travel accommodations for the Louisville finale.
• Individual ARV: $17,000.

Runner-Up Prizes:

• Number of winners: 4.
• Second place: $2,000 cash, recipe inclusion in the book, VinePair.com feature, and finale travel accommodations.
• Third place: $1,000 cash, recipe inclusion in the book, VinePair.com feature, and finale travel accommodations.
• Fourth place: $750 cash, recipe inclusion in the book, VinePair.com feature, and finale travel accommodations.
• Fifth place: $500 cash, recipe inclusion in the book, VinePair.com feature, and finale travel accommodations.
• Category ARV: $12,250.

Semi-Finalist Prizes:

• Number of winners: 5, consisting of sixth through tenth place.
• Each receives $250 cash and inclusion of their cocktail recipe in the sponsor's Old-Fashioned recipe book.
• Category ARV: $1,500.

Finalist Travel Accommodations:

• Provided to five finalists attending the Louisville finale.
• One round-trip economy airline ticket to Louisville, Kentucky.
• Two nights of single-occupancy hotel accommodations, including room tax.
• Up to $500 reimbursement for eligible food, beverages, and reasonable travel expenses, subject to receipts and reimbursement requirements.
• Travel reimbursement requests must be submitted by 03/12/2027.

Total ARV of All Prizes: $43,000.