Score one for the Eastside. Mark Sexauer, who manages the bars at Hector’s and Milagro Cantina, both in Kirkland, won last night’s Most Inspired Bartender competition with his original cocktail, The Forager. Sexauer will travel to Las Vegas in September to compete for the national Most Inspired title. He’ll go up against tenders from cities around the country in the contest, which is put on by GQ and the United States Bartenders Guild and sponsored by Bombay Sapphire.

The bartenders were tasked with making a creative but "approachable" drink, and I love that a cocktail that includes microplaned carrots and cumin seeds can be considered approachable. How far we’ve come with our drinking, no?

Without further ado, The Forager:

Ingredients
2 tbsp microplaned carrots
.5oz fresh lemon juice
.75oz Simple Syrup
2 tsp egg white
1 pinch (15-20 seeds) cumin seeds
2oz Bombay Sapphire Gin (Of course, you can sub in another gin. You’re under no obligation to the sponsor, after all.)
1oz Lillet Blanc

Garnish
1 flat sprig parsley
1 pinch orange zest

Instructions
Muddle whole cumin in mixing glass until all the seeds are broken. Combine
the rest of the ingredients and shake very hard to incorporate the carrot
flavor and emulsify the egg white. Double strain into a cocktail or coupe
glass of choice. Garnish with a large flat parsley sprig and a pinch of
orange zest.