The Most Inspired Bartender competition is a national cocktail-off put on by the United States Bartenders’ Guild and GQ magazine.

The Seattle leg of the 2011 comp happens tonight, Tuesday, August 23, at the Hotel 1000 at 8pm. Whoever wins will have his/her mug featured in a GQ advertorial and will travel to sparkly Las Vegas in September to compete with the other finalists around the country.

Last year, those things happened to Tavern Law—tender Phil Thompson, whose drink Other Wonders featured Bombay Sapphire gin, naturally enough, plus Licor 43 (“the Spanish smooth temptation”), Cocchi Americano, lemon juice, and orange bitters from Scrappy’s.

The event is private—not sure why—but if you’d like to learn which local bartenders are competing, that list is below. (Two competitors from Walrus and Carpenter? Juicy.)

Anna Wallace, The Walrus and The Carpenter (Ballard)
Blake Webb, Salty’s (Alki)
Byrn Lumsden, Rob Roy (Belltown)
Elmer Dulla, 22 Doors (Capitol Hill)
Jack Cheung, Tia Lou’s (Belltown)
Joe Sundberg, The Walrus and The Carpenter (Ballard)
Mark Sexauer, Hector’s (Kirkland)
Matt Johnson, Feedback Lounge (West Seattle)
Rachel Robin, Trinity nightclub (Pioneer Square)
Sean Johnson, Tommy Gun (Capitol Hill)
Shane Sahr, Tini Bigs (Lower Queen Anne)
Tara Smith, Pearl (Bellevue)
Terrence Jackson, Tavern Law (Capitol Hill).