Back for the fourth year in a row, the Edible Memphis ChampionSip: Mocktails competition has become a New Year’s tradition for many Memphians. Edible Memphis has curated a list of sixteen mocktails for you to try at sixteen hot spots. Join in the fun and spend Dry January hopping from one favorite drink spot to another—without a hangover!
Here are three reasons to participate:
1) Support Local: January is typically a very slow time for restaurants. The ChampionSip gives you sixteen good reasons to get out and try something new.
2) Re-think That Drink: When the ChampionSip started in 2022, mocktails were non-existent – or an afterthought – on menus. Now many bars and restaurants are crafting them as conscientiously as they do cocktails with some pretty delicious results. Who knows, maybe after trying a few, you’ll find yourself reaching for a mocktail in February too….
3) Judge All You Want: Sample all sixteen mocktails and you can cast a vote as an official judge at the end of the month.
Whether you’re sober, sober-ish, sticking to a New Year’s resolution, or just wanting to support local businesses during the January slump, ChampionSip: Mocktails is for you. Readers are encouraged to tag photos of their mocktails on Instagram throughout the month to be entered to win a $150 gift card to the participating restaurant/bar of their choice.
Readers who sample all 16 mocktails before January 31 will be invited to cast a vote as an official judge.
The bracket-style competition begins on January 17. Voting for each individual matchup will take place exclusively in an Edible Memphis Instagram Story poll over an assigned 24-hour period.
Here’s what to expect:
January 1-16: Competitors introduced one by one on Edible Memphis social media
January 12: Bracket announced
January 17-24: Sippin’ on Sixteen
January 25-28: Icy Eight
January 29-30: Pour of Four (Semi-finals)
January 31: ChampionSipper (Finals)
There are three ways for restaurants to win: Overall Bracket Winner, Most Tagged Mocktail, and Judges’ Choice.
See a quick list of participating restaurants below. Visit ediblememphis.com for full descriptions of the signature mocktails.
Stacey Greenberg is the editor in chief of Edible Memphis magazine. @nancy_jew.