Popular Cocktail Competition Canceled Thanks to Suspected Cheating Scandal
A popular cocktail competition was canceled after administrators discovered thousands of emailed votes were sent in a cheating scandal. (Photo: Ikon Images via AP Images)
On Thursday, KPCW reported that the Park City Restaurant Association canceled its annual Park City Area Restaurant Association Summer Cocktail & Mocktail Contest after organizers of the Park City, Utah contest became aware that multiple entrants may have cheated. The contest administrators believed multiple individuals used a software generator to create fake emails because the contest typically receives 5,000 votes a year. This year it received 200,000, raising eyebrows.
The outlet reported that voters initially had to buy the cocktail to cast their vote. Eventually, the contest went digital to broaden its reach and support members of the association. Yet, the contest’s online presence provided a fairly easy opportunity for bad actors to “rig” the results.
“The software that was probably involved with this is also involved with Google indexing millions and millions of websites,” Park City Computer Guy Owner John Concannon said, according to KPCW. “So when someone does a search for ‘cocktails and Park City,’ they come up with some good results. Sometimes the programs are simple to create. And, as you can see, it can be very daunting to try to prevent that. It’s possible and sometimes not that hard, especially with the right knowledge.”
Park City Restaurant Association Executive Director Ginger Wicks explained that she was saddened by what appeared to be a cheating scandal, yet claimed she would be keeping the individuals’ identities under wraps.
“You know, we’re a community here, and this is a community contest to support our amazing mixologists and that should be the spirit of the contest,” Wicks said. “Releasing who was involved in this is not in the best interests of our community or the spirit of this contest.”
At the end of July, website managers noticed what KPCW referred to as “discrepancies” when tallying up the votes, leading them to discover that some participants were attempting to curb the odds in their favor.
The program’s board of directors will decide whether or not to ban the perpetrators from future contests.
Wicks emailed members of the association that the contest would not move forward with a winner this year and claimed there was evidence that “multiple participants” hacked the system.
Participants were understandably disappointed.
“If they cheat on this, they probably cheat on their wives and taxes too,” a participant said, according to KPCW.
Other Cheating Scandals That Have Rocked the Beverage World
This incident with the Park City Restaurant Association’s Cocktail Competition is far from the most publicized cheating scandal to hit the booze world. An infamous cheating scandal rocked the Master Sommelier Exam in October 2018, as reported by the New Yorker.
In a shocking turn of events, a record number of sommeliers passed the notoriously difficult test.
On October 9, 2018, one of the administrators of the test apparently leaked information about the blind-tasting portion of the exam. The Master Sommelier was voted to lose his title. Amid the cheating scandal and sexual assault accusations that made headlines in 2020 and 2021, the once prestigious institution faced a reckoning.
Six master sommeliers were accused of sexual misconduct, and the court voted to strip them of their titles. One of the more prominent names was Fred Dame, the co-founder of the organization. Dame rose to prominence after passing his exam in London on the first attempt, breaking records.
Faced with the fallout, the organization had to regroup. Forbes reported in November 2020 that multiple Sommeliers — several of them female — ended up resigning in light of the controversy.
“This reckoning in our industry and organization has been incredibly painful — most painful of all for the survivors who felt unsafe or compromised by those they trusted,” Chair of Board of Directors CMS-A Emily Wines said. “From this deep disappointment and betrayal, we will continue channeling the learned lessons into growth and positive change for our organization.”
Follow The Daily Pour:
About The Daily Pour
Founded by Dan Abrams, The Daily Pour is the ultimate drinking guide for the modern consumer, covering spirits, non-alcoholic and hemp beverages. With its unique combination of cross-category coverage and signature rating system that aggregates reviews from trusted critics across the internet, The Daily Pour sets the standard as the leading authority in helping consumers discover, compare and enjoy the best of today's evolving drinks landscape.
