Red Herring Cocktail Lounge & Kitchen, 1757 Frankfort Ave, will host Bistro 1860’s Michael Crouch for a Chef Bartending Battle on Monday June 18, pulling Crouch out of the kitchen and pitting him against Red Herring Chef Jacob Coronado.

What exactly does that mean?  It means you can be the judge from 8 p.m. to midnight, putting these chefs to the cocktail test by ordering  drinks – a simple old fashioned to a more complex whiskey sour – and voting by putting a donation into the corresponding chef’s bucket. 

(This isn’t really a side by side competition where you would sample one from each chef – you just order from chef or the other and then tip them if you like the drink. The drinks will be at regular prices.) The chef who earns the most money wins, so if you are coming to support a specific chef, you’ll want to make sure and order from them! All the donated tip money will go to My Dog Eats First, a non-profit who helps provide for the pets of the homeless who offer love and compassion to their owners.

“Cooking food and mixing cocktails is meant to be fun,” explains Coronado. “Sometimes we get a little too serious about our jobs creating recipes and cooking dishes when it’s supposed to be enjoyable. This is our chance to get out of the kitchen and let loose while also raising money for a cause dear to Chef Crouch’s heart.”

In addition to shaking and stirring classic options, Crouch has created his own special cocktail to mix that evening – although, Red Herring didn’t know what it is when we called. A portion of proceeds from each of the custom cocktails sold will also go to My Dog Eats First. Each chef will also be allowed a “$5 hollar,” which enables them to substitute a $5 drink of their choice when a guest orders something that the chefs just don’t think they can muster.