¡Viva Sangrita! Contest at The Edison Tonight

Largely unknown outside of Mexico, sangrita is a tart, red, spicy drink not to be confused with sangria. Customarily served with a shot of tequila, the classic Mexican cocktail whose name means "little blood," finally gets its due. Tonight at The Edison, a trio of high-flying bartenders known as The Bon Vivants (Josh Harris, Scott Baird and Alex Straus) is hosting a sangrita competition sponsored by Tequila Ocho.

Over the last several months, contestants from around the country entered their recipes at a series of road shows in San Francisco, Miami, New York, Austin and Los Angeles. They were culled to a five semi-finalists, who will compete tonight for a place at the finals in New Orleans in July. (The winner also gets a trip to the Tequila Ocho distillery in Jalisco.) You can come out, try their drinks and vote for your favorite while you enjoy some music and passed appetizers.

¡Viva Sangrita! Los Angeles semi-finalists:

• Rich Andreoli (Harvard & Stone) - El Cantante


• Joseph Brooke (The Edison) - Singhrita


• Kate Grutman (Sotto) - Leche Materna


• Naomi Schimek (The Spare Room) - Ritual de lo Habitual


• Doug Williams (Liquid Alchemy) - Smoked Sour Cherry Gel Sangrita

When: 6 - 9 p.m., June 15th
Where: The Edison
Cost: There's no cover to get into The Edison, but you must RSVP.