When my friends and I began planning the Iron Bartender event way back in April of 2009, I doubt many of us fully appreciated the magnitude of the task ahead of us. This was one of the more challenging, but also one of the most rewarding (and fun) experiences of my life.
A few highlights from the evening:
- Renting every last remaining shot glass in Portland for the People’s Choice cocktail tasting.
- Looking out over a crowd of about 250 people packed into the Jupiter Hotel Dream Tent.
- Reading through the contents of each of the deluxe raffle “baskets”, but disappointed at not winning the instant wine cellar for myself. 🙂
- Experiencing the excitement in the room when an auction for two of the competitor’s drinks topped out at the $1,000 mark.
- Raising more than $20K for Children’s Relief Nursery and helping set them up for an equally successful event in 2011 – although they will likely need a bigger tent.
And of course there was the opportunity to take photos. Although I was “working” for the entire evening, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the night. You can also view the full album here.
A few of my partners in crime – Dana, Ali, Laurie (who is a ROCK STAR. The event wouldn’t have happened without her) and Karen.
The husbands showed their support by attending and…uh…drinking.
Elizabeth Markham – one of the competitors and the one who can proudly brag about the most expensive drink.
The judges.
Competitors in action.
My husband posing for the camera.
Bidding on the drink auction.
The announcement – winner Evan Zimmerman from Laurelhurst Market.
The four competitors – all great friends.
You can read more recaps of the event at the following blogs (and both of them feature my photos – yippee!).
Nicole Ishida Photography 