Coldbar debuts as a crowd favorite at Columbus Monthly's event

Of the 12 entrants in Columbus Monthly's Spring Cocktail Competition, one was a Clear Winner. And yes, that was the name of the drink. It was also aptly descriptive: The clear beverage, created by the team at soon-to-open Coldbar, was voted Best Overall Cocktail by 250 attendees of the event, held May 14 at Vitria on the Square.

Combining Vim & Petal Gin from Middle West Spirits with lime leaf, lemon and celery extracts, the beverage offered a smooth taste of the season. Jackson Proctor, beverage director for Mezcla and Coldbar (as well as beverage operations manager at The Pizzuti's Bar Room), said "fresh, vibrant spring flavors" inspired the cocktail.

"I'm having a little obsession with celery right now, and the savoriness and salinity that it brings. And we wanted to show that off in a nice, smooth, cool way," Proctor said.

The celery added a vegetal component without overpowering the drink. Meanwhile, the "cool" component came in part from custom, clear ice cubes made by Reynoldsburg-based Ice Punk, sized just right for the special serving cups Coldbar used for the cocktail. The business expects to open in August at a yet-to-be-announced location in Italian Village.

But Coldbar wasn't the only entrant highlighting the season. The Nine, which opened in Worthington in March, went all-in on spring veggies with its House Salad drink, chosen by the crowd as Most Creative Cocktail. Like a tossed salad, if you get the balance right − in this case, a blend of habanero, radish, cucumber cordial, and gin – it just works. And in this case, it did.

Coldbar won Best Overall Cocktail with its Clear Winner cocktail at the Columbus Monthly Spring Cocktail Competition, held May 14, 2026, at Vitria on the Square.

Rounding out the recognition was Harvest, whose flowery table earned the Best Booth Design award. It was an apt setting for the Garden Party cocktail, which incorporated cucumber-infused vodka, elderflower liqueur, salted tangerine honey, lemon juice, and mint in a beverage you could imagine drinking on a picnic blanket.

Columbus Monthly's 2026 Spring Cocktail Competition was sponsored by Middle West Spirits, with Hayden Huffman Trio performing live jazz.