Downtown Boulder Man Makes Cocktail in Speeding Jet Boat

So apparently I've really messed up my spring break plans this year. I decided to stay in Boulder and "work" while I should have been in New Zealand for the 42Below Cocktail World Cup. Duh.

Yeah, I didn't know it existed either until I heard Downtown's own Bitter Bar mixologist Mark Stoddard is on Team USA. Foiled again! So I did some research and while I can't glean much about the challenge specifics, from the pics on Facebook I can only assume that it is a collection of the 24 coolest people in the world mixing alcoholic beverages under extreme circumstances. There are jet boats and Irish men in strange hats, bungee-jumping excursions, passionfruit-foam topped libations and a lot of intoxicated Kiwis.

The challenges last through the 28th of March and Mark has already led his team to a victory in the "21st Century Punch" competition with "42 and Cloudy," a champagne punch served in a passionfruit. (Recipe here, if you dare.)

This isn't Mark's first time to compete and win, either...the man is a seasoned pro. He ran away with the Colorado Bartenders Guild's first prize and landed himself a place in the National Bartenders Guild competition.

So here's what I say: give the guy some support on his Twitter page and next week head over to Bitter Bar for a little sampling from our very own decorated Boulder mixologist before you can't get a reservation ever again.

--Stacy