Its name originated as a joke, but Speed Rack, the world’s first and only all-women and femme bartending competition, is anything but. Since the annual event debuted in 2011, it has raised close to $2 million for breast cancer charities. While its mission is serious, the six regional competitions and the final event are joy-filled extravaganzas with festive music, spontaneous dancing and plenty of cocktails. Winning, bragging rights aside, is just a small part of the overall experience. Season 14 of Speed Rack’s Midwest regionals took place Monday at Pilsen’s Thalia Hall. There, more than 550 attendees, a mix of hospitality industry folks and those who appreciate a spirited affair, along with a slew of brand sponsors and their liquid wares, gathered to watch the eight female-identifying bartenders, whittled from 20 earlier in the day, compete for the honor of representing the Midwest in the Speed Rack national final on July 19 in New Orleans. During each of the four rounds, the two contestants going head to head each made four cocktails, often in less than three minutes. By the end, the competitors had made a variety of cocktails between them — ranging from a Porn Star Martini and Vesper to a mezcal margarita. This year’s judges, who selected the drinks, included Kumiko’s Julia Momosé, Katie Renshaw of Bar Bambi, Josh Davis from Brown and Balanced, and David Mor of Truce, Lilac Tiger and Mirra. When the competition was over, Becca Petersen, bartender at soon-to-open Bar Bambi, took home the win. She’ll compete in the finals, which take place during Tales of the Cocktail, a cocktail conference for industry professionals. “The first year that I viewed it as a guest, I was blown away at the level of skill and professionalism I watched on stage,” she said. “To see women and femmes at the top of their game compete at such a prestigious level inspired me to improve my own bartending personally and I pursued a lot of techniques on my own time before feeling like I was operating at the level to compete myself.” Becca Petersen celebrates after winning the Speed Rack bartending competition at Thalia Hall in Chicago on Feb. 23, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Petersen, a second-time competitor, had hoped to make it past the first round and do a little bit better in the preliminaries than she did last year. “Last year I got drunk and called my mom and I cried for half an hour,” recalled Petersen of her post-competition reaction. “This year I’ll probably be less drunk, but I’ll still call my mom and cry for half an hour.” Speed Rack’s innate ability to bring women together isn’t lost on its co-founders Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix. “Honestly, winning at this point is not even what it’s all about,” said Mix, co-owner of Brooklyn’s Whoopsie Daisy and Fiasco! Wine and Spirits. “Speed Rack is its own culture. For lack of a better word, it’s like a sorority. There’s a lot of pride and connection of just being part of it.” Creating relationships and shining the light on talented female bartenders in a male-dominated industry has been at the forefront of Speed Rack from the beginning. Back in the late aughts, Marrero and Mix were diving into the cocktail industry, which was experiencing a revolution around the country but especially in New York City, where they both lived. “In 2008, if you were a cocktail bar, you were probably a speakeasy and everyone wanted to be the guy with the beard and the mustache and the arm garters,” recalled Mix. “There wasn’t a lot of room for someone that looked femme.” Before co-founding Speed Rack, Marrero, who got her start at NYC’s Flatiron Lounge, founded the New York chapter of Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails, a union of sorts for female bartenders. “At LUPEC, we were seeing lots of women behind the stick, especially in New York, being overshadowed by men,” she said. A barback, center, stands by ready to assist Annie Leahy, left, and Becca Petersen as they compete in the final round of the Speed Rack bartending competition at Thalia Hall in Chicago, on Feb. 23, 2026. Petersen won the contest. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) It was at a Super Bowl event when Mix found herself sitting next to Marrero, and she mentioned an idea she had been mulling over called Speed Rack, a tongue-in-cheek double entendre. “I don’t know what I want to do, but I think it would be cool to do a charity event for breast cancer and create a stage for femme-identifying bar industry folk to stand on,” she recalled telling Marrero. The two joined forces, and the first Speed Rack debuted in 2011 as a ticketed event supported by top-tier brands in the beverage industry. One hundred percent of proceeds go directly to charities supporting breast cancer education, prevention and research. The event also serves as a kind of job fair for those in the industry. “So many opportunities have happened because of this competition,” said Mattero, who launched Delola, a line of ready-to-enjoy crafted spritzes, in 2023 in partnership with Jennifer Lopez. Over the years, Speed Rack’s structure has more or less stayed the same. “We knew it had to be engaging, but how do you gamify what we do every day in a service bar?” said Marrero of their initial challenge. “I’m a big fan of food competition shows, so we decided to use that kind of format.” Judges Josh Davis, of Brown Balanced, from left, Katie Renshaw, of Bar Bambi; Julia Momose, of Bar Kumiko; and David Mor of Lilac Tiger sample cocktails made in the final round of the Speed Rack bartending competition held at Thalia Hall in Chicago, on Feb. 23, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) After applying online, potential competitors are whittled down via a video submission. Those who qualify move on to the regionals, where they showcase their speed and aptitude when preparing four cocktails in a preliminary round. The top eight fastest competitors advance to the onstage competition, a bracketed, round-robin-style challenge utilizing a random selection of industry-standard cocktails. They are rated on accuracy, taste and presentation by guest judges. The fastest and most skilled participants move ahead until one winner remains. “We always say it’s like watching a roller derby punk match because everyone’s very fierce,” said Marrero. “They’re all doing their own thing, but there’s a team mentality too.” From the get-go, an emphasis on classic cocktails was part of Speed Rack’s ethos. “Lynette and I were like, you are not a bartender worth your salt if you don’t know how to make these off the top of your head,” said Mix of their list of must-know classic cocktails, which could include everything from a simple Manhattan to an obscure Singapore Sling. The competitors often get the chance to spotlight their creativity with a dealer’s choice cocktail. The crowd at the sold-out event at Thalia Hall was filled with pink: track suits, headbands, knit hats, glasses and, not surprisingly, pink wristbands for entry to the event. There were T-shirts stating “Bartenders Are Gods.” Hugging, both in the audience and on the stage, was a regular occurrence among this tight-knit group of folks. A nonalcoholic-sponsored lounge upstairs reflected the times and was busy, especially when Claudio Velez, Tamale Guy, arrived with his popular treats. There were a few f-bombs here and there, followed by “cancer” and “ICE.” Becca Petersen celebrates after winning the Speed Rack bartending competition for women at Thalia Hall in Chicago on Feb. 23, 2026. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) “Speed Rack has always been at the forefront of feminism and fighting for diversity,” said Mix. “The more diversity you have working in your bar, the more diverse the people are who will want to come into your bar.” “In some ways, winning Speed Rack is just luck,” added Mattero. “But if you’re sad you didn’t win, remember it’s also a breast cancer charity. I think what makes people want to come together is this double-good cause: uplifting undersupported people and trying to stop a disease that affects many of us.” Lisa Shames is a freelance writer. Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. ...read more read less