Arizona bartender heads to national speedy cocktail contest

Zoom in: Krissy Shelberg of UnderTow Gilbert notched the top spot in a Speed Rack qualifying event in Phoenix last month after whipping up an espresso martini, whiskey sour, Hugo Spritz and Airmail in one minute and nine seconds.

How it works: Speed Rack is a national all-female bartending competition that celebrates women in the cocktail industry and raises money for breast cancer research.

• 16 of the nation's top mixologists make it to the national stage, where they'll be asked to make four drinks (from a list of more than 80!) as fast as possible.
• Speed is the top factor, but judges can add time to a score if a drink is messy, missing ingredients or over/under diluted.

This will be Shelberg's second time competing at nationals, giving her a leg up, she said.

• She told us she'll be switching her technique and pouring her base spirits before mixers to ensure she can keep track of which cocktail is which — a challenge she encountered last year.

What's next: Shelberg will represent Arizona in New Orleans on July 19.

In the meantime, you can watch her work her cocktail magic at UnderTow Gilbert, where she's the bar manager, or taste one of her concoctions at SumoMaya, where she curated several signature drinks.