Eleven bars and clubs gathered at the Petroleum Club for “good food, good drinks and to come and socialize and raise awareness for the need of music classes in school,” said Arts Council of Kern Executive Director Jeanette Richardson-Parks.
Sponsored by Three Olives Vodka, the second annual Artini show took place on Friday, Nov. 6 this year. According to Jason Gutierrez, event coordinator, the event began last year to bring an extra funding source for music classes in Kern County.
“The Arts Council wants to keep music classes in school, so we get a group of bartenders to put the ‘art’ in martini. They get to showcase their talents and creativity and promote their business, all for a good cause,” he said.
The theme for the evening was “Viva Las Bako,” and Las Vegas-styled decorations were spread throughout the club. Paintings that portrayed martinis, and Bakersfield or Las Vegas themes were set up for sale around the room too.
Before the event began, a panel of judges walked around and tried each vendor’s martini, with the winner to be announced at the end of the night.
Alex Neal and Anne-Marie O’Reilly of The Spotlight Theater made a rose, plum and basil-infused martini. With the theater’s production of “The Secret Garden” coming up, they wanted to make a martini that incorporated ingredients you would find in a garden.
“I was set on mint flavor, and it was difficult finding only all natural ingredients, but it worked out nicely,” Neal said. “We’re here for a good cause and to get the word out about the theater and the downtown scene,” O’Reilly added.
The Crest Bar and Grill took a 50s spin on a martini. Bartender Peter Karnowski explained that their martini, called Vesper, is a classic martini from the James Bond novel, “Casino Royale.”
“In the book, Bond orders a martini but is very specific. He wants certain parts gin, vodka and Lillet (a French citrus wine-based aperitif.) He only wants one drink for dinner, but he wants it big, he wants it strong and he wants it well made… He names his drink after his mistress, Vesper, because ‘once you have one, you never go back.'”
Karnowski said that with the Las Vegas theme he wanted to bring back the fact that martinis made with gin are “good drinks because the vodka masques the gin just enough. We are trying to do a throwback on a classic martini. I don’t like to sugarcoat my drinks. I enjoy a good quality beverage, and people do too,” Karnowski explained.
Karnowski feels that this event is important because it brings awareness to keeping music classes in school. “It’s all for a great cause-it’s helping to keep music classes and bring those classes to underprivileged schools. I know I want my kids to have music classes.”
The winning martini of the evening was the Petroleum Club with their ginger-peach martini. “We took regular vodka, peach schnapps and a mint-infused simple syrup, Canton, which is a ginger liqueur from France and then garnished the drink with ginger and peaches soaked in simple syrup,” said bartender Ryan Mercer.
“The smell of ginger and peaches together made me think of this drink . The mint gives it a nice twist-it’s a mojito, in essence.”
Along with bars showcasing their talents, Master Chef Eddie Perales performed his. Originally from Bakersfield, Perales owned the bartending school here eight years ago before moving to Las Vegas where he won the cocktail world cup with Team USA.
Perales made four different drinks and actually cooked his ingredients for the drinks in front of his audience. After making them, he passed the drinks around for people to try.
Richardson Parks was happy with how the evening went and said, “The event really helps raise awareness for the need of arts in schools.
“It reaches a lot of people who might not go to the galleries normally, and all of the money from the event goes to music classes,” she said.
“We’re about arts access. Whether it be through advocacy, education, visual, performing and literary. The truly important part is that through this event, we’re helping to put art back in Kern County,” she said.