Josh Pearson Snags Another Honor!

(Photo: Sepia)

Fresh off his awesome Banchet win for Best Mixologist, Josh Pearson snags another cool honor.

But this time Sepia's red-hot bartender competed for his favorite charity, United Through Reading, at Texas de Brazil's first-ever Caipirinha Mixology Competition on Tuesday.

Going up against Pearson was The Bedford's Peter Gugni and Benjamin Newby of The Underground. The guys were charged with coming up with their own spin on the Caipirinha—Brazil's national cocktail—to win money for their favorite charities.

While Pearson competed for United Through Reading, Newby shook cocktails for Open Heart Magic and Gugni whipped up drinks for Imerman Angels. One hundred percent of the party's proceeds went to the winner's chosen charity.

Pearson's Literate Caipirinha won the People's Choice Award as well as knocked the socks off the judges, which consisted of the RedEye's Emily Van Zandt, Michigan Avenue mag's Rachel Gillman, and the Chicago Sun-Times' David Hammond.

In the end, Pearson won $3,000 for United Through Reading, which he says 95 percent actually goes to help people.

Wanna try to make their cocktails at home?! Check them out:

Literate Caipirinha (Josh Pearson)

In a shaker glass muddle 1/2 lime, then add:

1.5 oz Leblon Cachaca

3/4 oz Passionfruit Syrup

1/4 oz Coconut Cream

Dash Angostura bitters

Shake and serve dirty in rocks glass. Sprinkle grated nutmeg over the top.

The Bedford Caipirinha (Pete Gugni)

2 oz Cachaça

1/2 lime, cubed

1 bar spoon of Turbinado sugar

1/2 oz Muscato

2 dashes Bitter Truth orange bitters

Mix ingredients in shaker; serve.

The Latinha (Benjamin Newby)

2 1/2 oz Cachaca
1 lime
1 tsp of cane sugar
2 tsp of Tajin
3 x fresh pineapple chunks (or one pineapple spear)
Muddled bit of egg white
1/2 cup of ice

Shake. Dump into 12 oz rocks glass; top with mandarin and lime organic soda, and garnish with a rind on pineapple triangle.