Southside’s Laura Lee’s home of the best Manhattan

The word bartender sometimes doesn’t apply. Instead you need the more grandiose, mixologist. This is one such case. We get word of a cocktail competition that went down last night and Sophia Kim from Laura Lee’s came out on top.

From Laura Lee’s:

Want to know who makes the best Manhattan in Richmond? Sophia Kim does.

We are excited to announce that our very own Sophia Kim has been named the Richmond Semi-Finalist in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience.

Sponsored by Liquor.com and USBG, the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience lets mixologist show off their best Manhattan and an original cocktail of their own. One of 39 regional sites, the Richmond competition took place last night, March 6, 2017, at Vagabond, with 11 of the city’s best mixologists. Sophia will head off to the Semi-Finals in Louisville, Kentucky, later this month. Six finalists will then go on to New York to compete in the final event for a chance to be crowned the winner of the Manhattan Experience.

While the origin of The Manhattan Cocktail remains a mystery, there’s no argument that it is one of the most well know cocktails. One of six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury’s classic, “The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks”, The Manhattan is a staple at bars around the world.

The Manhattan is a cocktail that includes three main ingredients: whiskey (rye, bourbon, Canadian whisky, Tennessee Whiskey, or blended whiskey), sweet vermouth, and bitters. The cocktail is commonly stirred & strained into a cocktail glass and garnished with a cherry with no stem. While the basics of the cocktails remain the same, many forward-thinking mixologists have developed their own variations on the classic drink.

Laura Lee’s is an updated take on the American fern bar, with a focus on great food set in a welcoming environment in Richmond’s Southside. Our space is comfortable and lovely, with living walls, padded chairs and semi-circular booths, and a classic mirrored bar.

Laura Lee’s
3410 Semmes Avenue, Richmond, Virginia, 23225
https://lauraleesrva.com