Hitchcock Center for the Environment | Education for a Healthy Planet

Hitchcock Center’s Battle of the Botanicals returns on June 18, 2026!

Join us for an evening of botanically inspired cocktail & food pairings – our seventh Battle of the Botanicals!

We will be inviting some of our region’s top bartender/chef teams to profile their talents and help us raise funds for the Hitchcock Center for the Environment’s environmental justice programs. This event is 21+.

Held on Thursday, June 18 from 6 – 9 p.m. this ticketed fundraiser is expected to draw 300+ people. Each restaurant team will present a tasting station with an appetizer and cocktail sample that highlight a signature botanical feature. The three top-voted bartenders will then take the stage for a live cocktail mix-off!

A panel of local celebrity judges will name the winner!

Tickets for Battle 2026

Early bird individual tickets (available until June 12): $100

Individual ticket from June 13 – June 18: $120

Sponsorship tickets: $500+

Early bird tickets are available now until June 12th at 11:59 PM EST!

Meet this year’s hosts of Battle of the Botanicals!

Monte Belmonte is host and executive producer of NEPM’s The Fabulous 413. He was born and raised in Massachusetts and has been a radio host in western Massachusetts for the last 20 years — the last 17 of them as host of Mornings with Monte on The River 93.9/WRSI.

Kaliis Smith is a radio host and digital producer for NEPM’s The Fabulous 413. A guitarist, she’s in several local bands including Ex-Temper, The Brass, and Soul Magnets, and she’s the author of “Finger and Thumb.” Her latest is “Sir Morien,” a children’s book co-written with New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.

The Fabulous 413: Monte Belmonte and Kaliis Smith introduce the neighbors who make our western Massachusetts the incredible place it is, with a focus on arts and agriculture, cuisine and colleges, history, happenings and whatever the people of The 413 are talking about today.

2024 BATTLE OF THE BOTANICALS FINALISTS

Battle Champion — Best Cocktail: GOMBO Nola Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Battle Finalist — Best Cocktail: Johnny’s Tavern
Battle Finalist — Best Cocktail: Homestead.
Best Small Bite — GOMBO Nola Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Thank you to our restaurant teams, sponsors, and to all who joined us for another fun year of Battle of the Botanicals. Check out the 2024 Battle Program to read about each participating restaurant’s chef and bartender.

BATTLE 2024 RESTAURANTS

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