Sunset magazine (www.sunset.com) today announced that two of California’s most celebrated mixologists, Erik Adkins of San Francisco’s The Slanted Door and Damian Windsor of LA’s The Roger Room, will proudly represent their cities as part of Sunset magazine’s “LA vs. SF: Food Town Smackdown—Cocktail Edition.” At 4 p.m. on October 2, the two will meet on “neutral ground” in San Luis Obispo County—midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles—to demonstrate their skills in front of a live audience. At the end of the 45-minute event, one city will be declared the cocktail capital of California by an expert panel of judges.

“LA vs. SF: Food Town Smackdown” is part of SAVOR the Central Coast, a four-day food and wine event that takes place September 29 to October 2 and celebrates the amazing food, wine and hospitality of California’s beautiful Central Coast.

“Cocktails aren’t just a part of our bar scene, they’re a part of San Francisco history. Some of the world’s greatest and most popular drinks originated in the Bay Area: Irish Coffee, the Mai Tai, Pisco Punch,” said Erik Adkins, who is responsible for the acclaimed bar programs at San Francisco’s The Slanted Door and Heaven’s Dog. “Unlike LA, which has a handful of good cocktail bars, it’s possible to get a good cocktail in almost all of San Francisco's restaurants.”

“The coldest summer Mark Twain ever spent wasn't in Los Angeles,” noted Windsor, who runs the bar at Hollywood watering hole, The Roger Room, and whose “Tijuana Brass” was named the Best Summer Cocktail of 2009 by Los Angeles Magazine. “75-degrees and sunny, farm fresh produce year round and the beach. Suck it San Francisco!”

It’s on.

At Savor, Damian and Erik will each prepare two cocktails for the judges to evaluate. For the first, a “farm-to-glass” cocktail, each mixologist will select at least three ingredients from the Sunset Kitchen Garden, a 2-acre garden planted on the grounds of Santa Margarita Ranch, the site of the “Smackdown.” After choosing from a dizzying array of local fruits, herbs and veggies at the peak of ripeness, each contestant’s creation will be judged on how well they incorporate the flavors of the season and the surrounding beauty of the Central Coast. A modern update on a pre-prohibition era cocktail will be the second drink the judges will assess based on how each best expresses the distinct history and culture of the contestants’ respective cities.

“We knew a rematch was in order after Los Angeles beat out rival San Francisco by only one point in our ‘California Food Fight’ article back in the July issue of the magazine,” said Margo True, Sunset food editor and “Smackdown” judge. “We’re looking forward to seeing how these mixology masters draw on California’s rich cocktail history and breadth of seasonal flavors to create cocktails that best express the spirit of California—and their home towns.”

Margo will be joined on the judging panel by LA Weekly’s Jonathan Gold, tablehopper.com’s Marcia Gagliardi, and, just announced, Charlotte Voisey, whose many accomplishments include awards for Best American Brand Ambassador, two times Golden Spirit Award winner at Tales of the Cocktail, James Beard recognition and TV appearances on Top Chef Masters and Next Iron Chef America. Additionally, Charlotte looks after the spirits portfolio, and Brand Ambassador team, of William Grant & Sons in the capacity of Company Mixologist.

The “Smackdown” will take place as part of Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast 2011’s Main Event, the centerpiece of the four-day festival. The Main Event will celebrate the flavors of the good life on the Central Coast: Gardening seminars, food and wine pairings, discussions on sustainability, backyard farming exhibits, and cooking demonstrations featuring celebrity chef, Cat Cora.  In addition, the Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast 2011 weekend will offer a host of adventure tours, celebrations, and farm-to-table meals to bring the beauty and bounty of California’s Central Coast vibrantly to life, including:

• VIP Reception and Opening Night soirée at Hearst Castle on Thursday, September 29
• Sunset Western Wine Awards Gala on the Pismo Beach Pier, Friday, September 30
• Paso Glow culinary experience in Paso Robles’ City Park where local chefs and farmers join Cat Cora to celebrate the Central Coast under the moon on Saturday evening, October 1
• “SAVOR the Mission Plaza,” an al fresco dining experience in the heart of SLO Mission Plaza, featuring San Luis Obispo County’s best chefs and wineries, Saturday evening, October 1
• Kayaking the Morro Bay Estuary, hiking Montaña de Oro State Park, hot-air-ballooning over Paso Robles wine country, and much more.

Tickets for the Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast 2011 event are on sale at www.SavorCentralCoast.com and at Farm Supply outlets.

Sunset magazine has partnered with the San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conference Bureau to launch Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast 2011. For more event information and tickets, visit www.savorcentralcoast.com, or call 800‐768‐6653.  Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SavorCC, or follow us on Twitter (@SavorCC).  Ticket proceeds and sponsorships are considered donations to the San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Convention Bureau, a 501 c 6 non‐profit tourism organization promoting San Luis Obispo County.