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Part-time bartender wins Cocktail Week honor

The official drink of "Arizona Cocktail Week" has been crowned, as this year's Cocktail Week gets underway.

The drink's name is called "Zonie Land", and it was invented by a part-time bartender. Elliott Clark, who is also a cocktail enthusiast, beat out nearly 100 other entries to create the perfect concoction, in the frist ever contest for best cocktail.

"Really cool from the standpoint of being a cocktail enthusiast to learn from the best, and kinda be around other people in the scene," said Clark.

The drink was not only judged for its look, but also judged on taste, creativity, aroma, and balance.

"You had to use a base spirit, about one-and-a-half ounce," said Clark. "You have to use a chili pepper. It has to be a Southwest theme."

As for the name...

"It's kind of a funny name," said Clark. "When I moved away for college, I was in San Diego. Me and a lot my friends referred to it as 'Zonieland'."

Clark also detailed his ingredients for the drink.

"The whiskey is sourced from a distiller down in Tucson," siad Clark. "It's Ancho Chili and Orgeat, which is an almond-based syrup liqueur. Lime juice, Pineapple syrup, and Orange juice."

The whiskey is Mesquite-smoked, and the cocktail is topped with fresh mint. Clark said the drink reminds him of the home state, a state he says he never wants to live. At home, Clark also spends time blogging about mixing drinks.