Blender Bender is a frozen cocktail competition celebrating Boston's bartender community. Teams of bartenders work together over several weeks to develop a signature frozen cocktail built around an assigned base spirit and inspired by their team's country. Teams serve their blended cocktail to 250+ guests (hospitality community and consumers alike) who vote for their favorites.

Blender Bender has been a Boston staple since 2013, and this year's theme is the best one yet. Each year has a different theme; check out some videos from past events: Intergalactic Blender Bender and Blenderdome.

In July 2026, as the world tunes in to the biggest soccer tournament on the planet, Blender Bender returns with a new theme: Blend It Like Beckham. Each team will be assigned a country which should inspire their frozen cocktail, costumes, and station decor.

All competitors are Boston-area bartenders nominated by Blender Bender alumni. All nominees will be first-time competitors!

Three-person teams will be formed from the pool of nominees. Competitors may or may not know their teammates in advance, but that is part of the fun. OFFSITE will introduce teammates to each other and to their sponsor contact, and will share the country assignment well ahead of the competition so the team can start collaborating.

Guests who attend the event will sample cocktails and vote for their favorite. The team with the most votes wins. There are no presentations or formal judges. The winner is determined entirely by the people's choice.

Yes. Each recipe must include:

• The assigned sponsor product as the base spirit (minimum 1 oz per full-sized cocktail).

• A Giffard modifier. See the full list of eligible Giffard products here.

• Juices, syrups, and fruits as needed to round out the recipe. See "What will OFFSITE provide?" below for more details.

OFFSITE will share the brand assignment ahead of the event so teams have time to collaboratively develop and fine-tune their recipe. Beyond those two requirements, the recipe is entirely up to the team. Creativity is strongly encouraged.

Yes. Beyond the base spirit and Giffard modifier, teams are free to build their drink with the juices, syrups, and garnishes of their choosing. However, we ask that teams not include any additional alcoholic ingredients. See "What will OFFSITE provide?" below for a full list of what will be available.

• The base spirit, enough to batch out sufficient serves for the event. The sponsor contact will also provide a sample bottle or two before the event for recipe development.

• Giffard modifiers. See the full list of eligible products here. The Giffard brand rep will also provide a sample bottle or two before the event for recipe development.

• Juices: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, and pineapple (all citrus will be super juice).

• Syrups: simple (1:1) and agave (1:1). Note: Giffard's syrup line includes orgeat, cinnamon, grenadine, and more. See the full list of eligible products here.

• Whole fruit for garnish, plus a cutting board and knife.

• Ice.

• All equipment needed for the event, including a blender, batching vessels, funnels, cutting boards, knives, and more.

• A dedicated station with tablecloth, a country flag, and a framed menu featuring the team's recipe.

• Up to $150 reimbursement per team for additional ingredients, costumes, and decor. Receipts required day-of.

Teams should reach out to their sponsor contact (OFFSITE will make the introduction) and coordinate a time and place to receive a sample bottle. For Giffard products, teams should fill out this short form by June 8th and the Giffard rep will reach out to arrange delivery.

Teams are responsible for costumes, station decor, homemade ingredients, and any specialty garnishes beyond what OFFSITE provides. To minimize single-use plastic waste and keep the event sustainable, all garnishes should be edible. Plastic picks, skewers, and packaging should not be used at the station.

Teams should keep their receipts. Up to $150 in reimbursements can be submitted at the event.

No. All equipment is provided on-site, including blenders, bar tools, and sample cups. Before the event, OFFSITE will reach out if there is anything specific a team's recipe requires that is not on the standard supply list (for example, a house-made specialty syrup). If you are making a foam, you will be expected to bring an iSi cream whipper. We will provide plenty of NO2 cartridges. Everything OFFSITE provides will be ready and waiting at each station upon arrival. Teams will be expected to batch and serve their cocktail on the day of the event.

• June 1: Teams and base spirits confirmed. OFFSITE will introduce teammates to each other, share the country assignment, and connect each team with their sponsor contact.

• June 8: Deadline for Giffard sample product request.

• June 22: Recipe submission deadline.

• July 12: Event Day: Blend It Like Beckham!

The winning team takes home the coveted Golden Blender trophy, and every member of the winning team receives a brand new blender. Runners-up and “Most Patriotic” will receive Cocktail Kingdom gift cards.

We’re planning on 300 sample-sized portions (3oz cups), which is about 75 full-sized portions. All teams must serve their drinks in the provided Blender Bender cups.

There's no stage, no judges, and no formal presentation — just sample-sized pours in the provided cups. Each attendee gets three voting tokens, and each team has a ballot box on their table. Ballot boxes are collected and counted at 9:30pm; the team with the most votes wins the Golden Blender!

Yes, and we highly recommend it! Teams can arrive anytime after 3pm to batch, and we'll provide equipment like large Cambros and measuring cups.

You're responsible for procuring anything not on the provided ingredient list (see ‘What OFFSITE Will Provide’) and bringing it to the venue day-of. We'll give you a list of items and estimated quantities. Save your receipts as we'll reimburse up to $150 for ingredients, but only with day-of receipts.

Yes. If your recipe calls for a foam, bring your own iSi cream whipper; we'll supply plenty of NO2 chargers.

Any product you need to infuse or fat-wash must be sourced from First Street Market. All alcoholic products will be onsite by Wednesday, July 7. Please email Altamash (altamash@firststreetmkt.com) to coordinate a pickup time.

Feel free to reach out to Nick Korn directly by text at (617) 784-4240 or by email at nick@getoffsite.com.