The Bottle i need to get rid of

Every bar has those bottles—the ones that sit at the back of the shelf, collecting dust.

Some are oddly shaped, others filled with obscure or unexpected ingredients. At this point, they’re more decoration than anything else.

But every now and then, a bartender finds a way to give them new life.

Enter Conor Murphy, who moved from Longford, Ireland, to San Diego, and eventually found  himself bartending  in NYC.

After helping open The Elgin, where he currently resides , Conor faced one of those forgotten bottles.

Howler Head Bourbon

With creativity and determination, he transformed that dusty bottle into a winning cocktail.

Howler Head is far from your typical bourbon,

it’s banana-flavored, a bold departure from the classic profile.

While it’s delicious on its own, bourbon purists and “taters” might turn up their noses at its unconventional twist.

So, it gathered a bit of dust at The Elgin.

But Conor saw potential where others didn’t.

With creativity on his side, he embraced the banana flavor and crafted a cocktail that changed everything.

The Piña Colada Old Fashioned,

it wasn’t just a hit—it sold like crazy, putting Howler Head on the map at The Elgin.

Word of the cocktail’s success spread, and soon, Howler Head took notice.

They invited Conor to compete in a best bartender competition.

And as the official flavored bourbon of the UFC, the judges were none other than Dana White and newly crowned champ (at the time) Suga Sean O’Malley.

Conor stepped up to the challenge, representing The Elgin and his signature cocktail.

The competition was fierce, but Conor’s Piña Colada Old Fashioned stood out.

Dana White and Suga Sean O’Malley, no strangers to intensity, were the perfect judges for such a high-stakes event.

Conor mentioned that both Dana and Sean couldn’t have been nicer during the competition, though Sean was a bit quieter than he expected in person.

In the end, the competition was too close to call. Conor’s Piña Colada Old Fashioned tied for the top prize, sharing the spotlight with another incredible creation.

All the bartenders walked away with swag bags, bad-ass tickets to the UFC fight at Madison Square Garden, $1,500 for the non-winners, and an even bigger prize for the winners.

If you’re in NYC, head over to The Elgin to try the winning Piña Colada Old Fashioned for yourself.

But if you can’t make it, don’t worry—you can craft one at home!

Here’s the recipe:

– 1 oz Howler Head Bourbon
– 1 oz Coconut Cartel Rum
– 0.25 oz pineapple syrup
– 3 dashes Angostura bitters
– 2 dashes orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir well and strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a pineapple slice or orange twist for that extra tropical touch.

And if you want to see Conor in action, check out the video of the competition here!

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