How You Can Win A Catered Party With A Full-Serve Bartender

Summer isn't actually over — we've got more than a month until that happens — but seeing all those back-to-school advertisements and Halloween decorations for sale can really get you down. The next thing you know, it will be pumpkin spice latte season, with the calendar showing no mercy if your pool time has been at a record low. What you probably need right now is to host that last blowout shindig of the summer, complete with a caterer and spectacular frozen beverages. If you could be the one leading the charge without actually paying the charge, that would likely be a dream come true.

It turns out a free catered party could actually be your reality if you win Topo Chico's new sweepstakes, as the sparkling water brand told Mashed in an email. The contest's grand prize is a bartender sent to your door to whip up boozy raspados for a group of 30, plus a $500 Uber Eats gift card to supply all the snacks. What's a raspado? The U.S. has Slurpees and snow cones, Italy has granita, and Mexico has raspados, which are also popular in Tucson, Arizona. These refreshing summer drinks are made by blending shaved ice with different (often fruit-based) syrups and toppings. Typical flavors include mango, coconut, guava, and tamarind — but they are not traditionally alcoholic. 

That's where Topo Chico is mixing things up, putting its own twist on the traditional raspado by incorporating its line of hard seltzers. For the sweepstakes, which Topo Chico told Mashed is in celebration of its drinks' nationwide availability on Drizly, the brand created a quartet of boozy raspado recipes to be served at the catered party. One sweet-tart version includes lemon, lime, and tamarind (plus tangy Tajín as a topper), while a strawberry guava drink is much sweeter. They all include a different Topo Chico hard seltzer flavor, as well as chamoy, the mouth-puckering yet sweet and salty condiment that makes raspados unique.

Here's the fine print: Now until August 28, hopefuls can enter to win the Topo Chico party by texting "RASPADO" to 49375 or following the instructions on the sweepstakes' website. Even if you don't win the party, at least you've gotten a little inspiration for some new cocktail options that are icy, not too strong, and perfect for the end of summer.