"Spirit of the Black Sage" was the winning cocktail concoction at Kamloops' second annual competition Thursday.

Terra Restaurant waitress Katherine Whitehead and co-owner Andrea Tombs presented the tall blackberry-coloured beverage to a panel of six judges at St. Andrews on the Square just after 3 p.m.

Into the drink went sage-infused syrup, vodka, blackberry liqueur and pureed blackberries sourced from local Berry Sweet Farm. The elegant glasses were garnished with a simple blackberry with a sprig of sage poised atop.

The drink was created to honour Albert the Ghost, who is said to haunt the Sagebrush Theatre.

Whitehead said it was also important to Terra "to stay true to the philosophy of our restaurant." She said the words fresh, local and sustainable summarize that philosophy.

Runners up were Hoodoos at Sun Rivers' "Settler's Punch," a mixture of peach puree, gin, absinthe and lemonade; and ORA Restaurant's "Double Century," a delightful blend of peach-infused vanilla vodka topped with blackberry cream and served in glasses rimmed with icing and sprinkles.

Entrants were judged based on their drink presentations and the drinks' ties to local history. The competition was appropriately held at St. Andrews on the Square, Kamloops' oldest public building, which dates back to 1887.

The contest was part of summer-long celebrations of the bicentennial of the arrival of Europeans in the area, and was created by Tourism Kamloops to showcase local cuisine.

Other contestants included Frick & Frack's "Cool as a Cucumber" and Ramada Rooftop Lounge's "Heffley's Gold."

All five of the competing cocktails will remain on the restaurants' menus until Sept. 4.

Terra got to take home a trophy and gets to keep it until next year's contest.

Lee Morris of Tourism Kamloops said the event will run again and that she hopes it will become an annual event.