On Sunday, February 18, Waxlight Bar a' Vin will host its twice-annual professional cocktail competition, the Buffalo Open. 

This edition of the long-established competition focuses  on zero-proof cocktails, an increasingly popular alternative that, when executed well, offers drinkers alcohol-free cocktails as nuanced, full-bodied, and complex as more traditional options.

Competitors include some of the region’s most skilled craft barkeeps. Guests will experience original concoctions from Heidi Keller of Graylynn, Natasha Horeth of Kuni’s, Aaron Kaczmarek of Oliver’s, Erika Talbot of The Little Club, and Frank Pusateri of the highly anticipated Beacon Grille. 

Guests will enjoy delightful fare and samples of the competing cocktails; a cash bar will offer zero-proof beverages and boozy options. 

The competing cocktails are judged for their cohesiveness, technical skill, balance, name, complexity, and consistency. Judges for the 2024 Buffalo Open include WGRZ’s Lauren Hall, Nickel City Pretty, Lindsay Robson, the founder of Buffalo’s Best Mocktail Competition, and Melissa Winkler, proprietor of Winkler & Samuels. The event is hosted by Buffalo Spree magazine's food editor, Christa Glennie.

This edition of the Buffalo Open is sponsored by Nomadic Distribution, an importer distributor of natural organic wines, and Elijah Craig, an award-winning distiller.   

Waxlight Bar a' Vin is a two-time James Beard-nominated restaurant located in Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood and owned equally by four of Buffalo's leading food and drink pros. 

Buffalo Open

February 18, 2024

1:30 pm doors | 2:30 pm start

$50 includes cocktail samples and light fare

Waxlight Bar a’ Vin

27 Chandler Street

Buffalo, NY 14207