Life Behind Bars

It’s hard enough to make a round of four delicious classic cocktails on a slow night for a couple of regulars. Now imagine trying to make them on stage in front of a screaming crowd for a group of prestigious judges prepared to critique them—out loud. This scenario, which is the stuff of nightmares for many, describes the global and charitable all-female cocktail competition Speed Rack. It’s not all about creating perfectly crafted cocktails in record time: The efforts of the bartenders competing in this ultra-challenging test of speed and accuracy help raise funds for breast cancer research. It has raised more than a million dollars in its ten years. On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, Speed Rack co-founders Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero join co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum to look back on the competition’s first decade, how it has evolved and what its future holds. (Mix’s twin sister Tess Mix works for the Daily Beast.) So fix yourself a cocktail and listen