Edge Steakhouse Mixologist Michael Angelo Bubay wins $500 and bragging rights for winning the 2025 Canyons Village Cocktail Contest with his drink, named “Black Diamond.”“I was very happy because this is my first time working as a bartender,” he said. “So, basically I have never made any d rinks before.”“Black Diamond,” which will be available throughout the summer season, won the contest, which ran March 1 through March 31, with 227 votes, marking a 20% lead over Dos Olas’ second-place submission, “The Spicy Spritz.” High West Double Rye serves as the basis of Bubay’s drink that also includes Amaro for the herbal and a syrup made from scratch out of fresh blood oranges, fresh limes and fresh lemons.“I slice the fruit and put it in a vacuum bag and add a white sugar,” he said. “I put it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, but it’s better to let it sit longer to combine all the flavors.”Bubay uses Fee Foam, an egg-white substitute, which supports a garnish of black walnuts for the bitters, and a slice of dehydrated blood orange.“I used Fee Foam because a lot of people don’t like eggs or they have egg allergies,” he said. “I arrange the walnuts in a small heart and put the orange slice in the middle.”Bubay took on the bartending job at Edge after the winter season, and said he didn’t have any experience as a mixologist.“This is my first competition, and since I’m still learning, I studied first how to combine all of those flavors in one cocktail,” he said. “Yes, there is a lot of citrus, but if you try the drinks, you will find it’s very fruity and everything is balanced.”Before Bubay and Edge decided on “Black Diamond,” the bartender created six other cocktails for consideration.“I made the cocktails with different liquors and even had a sea-salt caramel margarita with tequila. We did one with vodka and a chai with eggnog,” he said. “We asked my manager which of the six we should enter, and they asked me what my favorite liquor is, and I said, ‘I always drink whiskey.’ So they tried them all and told me the whiskey was really good. So we went with that.”Edge Steakhouse also won last year’s cocktail contest with “Winter in the City,” a Vodka-based mix created by then mixologist Abhishek Pawar.“Our main bartender retired, and the other bartender who won last season is now a server,” Bubay said. “So, when the management asked me if I wanted to take the position, I was a little surprised because I didn’t have too much knowledge about making drinks by scratch. And when they asked if I would like to enter the contest, I said, ‘I’ll try my best.’”Bubay is grateful not only for the win, but for the chance to enter the contest.“Thankful for Canyons management and Edge, since they gave me the opportunity to work as a bartender, even though I don’t have a lot of experience,” he said.“Black Diamond” is made with High West Double Rye, Toadstool Noton “Amaro,” fresh blood orange juice, lemon and lime juice, Demarara sugar syrup, black walnut bitters and fee foam. For information about the contest, visit cvma.com/cheers.The post Edge Steakhouse mixologist surprised with Cocktail Contest win appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less