Bartenders will see who can sell more drinks to benefit charity. Kristen Wile/UP

South End sushi restaurant O-Ku has lined up a series of guest bartenders to help raise money for charity. Each month, bar manager Larisa Yanicak will battle it out with a visiting bartender to see who can sell the most drinks using specific spirits. The mixologist who can sell more drinks wins, and proceeds from the drinks are donated to charity. The special cocktail menu is available restaurant-wide.

The series kicked off in December, with Andrew Uriar

teof Dot Dot Dot as the guest bartender. The charity that night was the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which Yanicak says is an important cause to her, and drinks used Ron Zacapa rum. Each contender serves two cocktails, priced at $13 each. The debut event raised more than $1,000.

The next showdown will take place on Jan. 28 with Idlewild’s Vince Chirico. The drinks will be made with Wild Turkey Rye and Campari, and benefit the Australian Red Cross. The full schedule is as follows:

January 28: Vince Chirico from Idlewild
February 25: Henry Schmulling from Merchant and Trade
March 10: Stefan Hubner from Dot Dot Dot
March 31: Rhea Buck from Haberdish

Roger Kongham of Hibiscus and Amanda Britton of Bardo and Vana will be the May and June guests, respectively. Those dates have not yet been finalized. —Kristen Wile