Photo caption: Johnston County's winning team pose with their awards (from left to right): Chad Blackwelder, Jeremy Norris, Miguel Angel Latorre, Colby Norris, Lynn Minges. 

North Carolina's restaurant industry leaders and local food enthusiasts from across the state gathered at Bay 7 in Durham on Monday, August 26 for the eighth annual Grand Finale of NCRLA's Chef Showdown, presented by Got to Be NC Agriculture. After 11 preliminary and semifinal rounds, the evening culminated with the announcement of the 2024 winners.

Revival 1869's Miguel Angel Latorre was named NCRLA Mixologist of the Year and also took home the NCRLA Mocktail of the Year award, while Broadslab Distillery was awarded the prestigious title of NCRLA Distillery of the Year. Each competing mixologist must choose an NC-based distillery to partner with for the competition, including a product from that distillery into their competing concoction. Miguel partnered with Jeremy Norris with Broadslab for this year's competition.

“The NCRLA Chef Showdown was an experience of a lifetime. From the ideation, to the preparation, there were so many logistical challenges and things to troubleshoot. It was a lot! But all the hard work and creativity was so worth it!,” said Miguel, speaking of his win, “To be able to showcase my talents and tell stories in the process is the exact reason why I feel as a bartender I often double as a storyteller.”

Miguel presented two innovative and expertly crafted drinks: Ode to Jessica (mocktail) and Just Down the Road (cocktail). Both drinks showed versatility and creativity. His winning mocktail is a savory and refreshing creation that pays homage to his mother's Puerto Rican cuisine while highlighting NC-based ingredients. His winning cocktail included Aunt Ruby's Peanuts, infused Broadslab Flue-Cured Blended Rye Whiskey as well as peach infused sweet vermouth, and a Wild Cherry Pepsi syrup reduction among other things. 

Maleah Christie, Co-Owner of Revival 1869 stated, “The NCRLA competition is something we look forward to each year. It requires a lot of time and creative passion from the very best people in NC's food and beverage industry, so Miguel being among four of Revival 1869's bartenders to compete is something we are remarkably proud of.” She continued, “Our bar team works together to continually grow, learn from each other and push creative boundaries. Miguel represented that well in this year's NCRLA competition. Teaming up with Jeremy Norris at Broadslab Distillery is an honor. We're tickled to death he won Best Distillery! Jeremy's such a great guy and his heart and creativity show in his whiskey.”

“I'm very proud of what Miguel was able to achieve at the NCRLA Chef Showdown. It's a fantastic culmination of a lot of growth and development. Creating a cocktail which embodies passions, tells a personal story, and has amazing complexity is no easy task,” said Mike Stojic, Co-Owner of Revival. “When Maleah and I built Revival 1869, we set out to foster an environment which encourages freedom in creativity from all the bartenders. In doing so, we have a wealth of unique perspectives brought on by different socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures, and personalities. They work together to refine their craft through shared passion.”

Miguel spoke to that as well, “The NCRLA Chef Showdown was an opportunity to dive deeper into the craft of mixology and present mocktails and cocktails that I believe showcase my story and my passion for the craft. Mike and Maleah have been instrumental in my journey and I am so thankful to be a part of this team. They really have cultivated an environment where we feel supported and our creative liberties are able to shine. I am so thankful for Broadslab Distillery, Jeremy Norris and Colby Norris for being supportive and allowing me to showcase their fantastic whiskey.”  

Broadslab Distillery is the state's only dirt-to-bottle, farm-based distillery, known for their five-generation moonshine recipe and dedication to crafting high-quality spirits. As Broadslab continues to grow and innovate, winning Distillery of the Year solidifies their reputation in the state. 

“We are honored to have been chosen by Miguel at Revival 1869 to use our whiskey in his unique cocktail! It was a pleasure to work with him throughout this entire process! The fact that we won the 2024 NCRLA Distillery of the Year is an incredible honor!” said Jeremy Norris, Owner and Master Distiller at Broadslab. “I truly believe the judges enjoyed the story behind our distillery and the fact that we are a family-owned and farm-to-bottle distillery with a unique 'flue-cured' patent pending whiskey aging process.”

Broadslab recently released a new product line, one of which Miguel used in the Showdown. It is a line of flue-cured bourbons and whiskeys; aged using a patented process where barrels of product are placed in a flue-cured tobacco barn, using the heat to speed the aging process. 

Also represented this year was Hinnant Vineyards, partnering with a competing chef to use wine as a complement to the dish. In addition, Tiesha Whitiker of Buttermilk Boutique, and 2021 NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year, participated as a judge. Events like the Chef Showdown help to highlight the exceptional talent and quality products coming out of Johnston County. These accolades serve as an open invitation to food and drink enthusiasts to explore the vibrant and expanding scene in the county and place JoCo firmly on the map as a culinary destination in North Carolina.

For more information about the Chef Showdown event and to see all this year's winners, visit www.ncrla.org/ncrla-events/2024-ncrla-chef-showdown. To learn more about how to VisitJoCo go to www.johnstoncountync.org.

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