"I wouldn't want to chase this shot," rocker Mark Mallman said to a contestant during a recent Iron Bartender match at Hell's Kitchen in downtown Minneapolis.

That may be one of the best compliments a competitor will get during this eight-week Twin Cities mixology battle. Mallman was talking about a Mexican mole sauce-inspired shot crafted by a duo from Uptown's Chiang Mai Thai. That bartending team is one of 16 in a wide field of competitors, some hailing from the scene's best cocktail bars. The tournament-style matches started May 2 and will take place every Sunday at Hell's Kitchen until a winner is crowned on June 20.

The rules are simple. Contestants have just 20 minutes to make three drinks: a martini, a cocktail and a shot. The twist, of course, is the revealing of a mysterious secret ingredient. At the battle I watched, the secret ingredient was -- drum roll, please -- coconut. (Octopus wasn't available, I guess.)

The Chiang Mai team, John Fuller and Joe Price, went against a duo from the upscale Mexican restaurant Masa. As the round began, Fuller and Price sped through a quick brainstorming session and then went to work, grabbing raw chocolate, various peppers, rum and coconut from the table of ingredients. Of the three drinks they created, the spicy kick of the mole- inspired shot propelled them to the win.

"You can bartend for 10 years, but when you get put on the spot in front of a bunch of people, it can be a little nerve-racking," Fuller said afterward.

The Twin Cities version of Iron Bartender was created last year by bartender Jesse Held and held at the now-defunct Bellanotte. Former Town Talk cocktail wizard Nick Kosevich won the top prize. Veteran bartender Christopher Greenfield took the reins this year, bringing Iron Bartender to his home base at Hell's Kitchen. The judges range from rockers such as Mallman to Twin Cities cocktail gurus such as Johnny Michaels.

The rules regarding each bartender's arsenal have been changed this year. In the first round, the bartenders must come with nothing but their skills. Hell's Kitchen provides them with a buffet table filled with liquor bottles, simple syrups, cordials and bitters, plus a pile of produce. Eggplant, anyone? The bartenders are allowed to bring their own stock in later rounds.

As for the secret ingredient, it hasn't been anything too crazy -- yet. Think: coconut, ginger, watermelon. Last year, they saved the more esoteric ingredients -- kiwano (a cucumber-tasting horned melon) and purple mangosteen (an Indonesian fruit grown on evergreen trees) -- for the later rounds. Grand prize is a party for 50, including drinks and appetizers, at Hell's Kitchen.

I've heard rumblings from some people within the cocktail intelligentsia who question whether great cocktailing is possible in such a speed-focused contest. Greenfield said that he understands such reservations but thinks Iron Bartender will surprise naysayers.

"It's true that there is a lot of time that goes into making a craft cocktail," he said. "But in last year's competition, [the bartenders] made some of the most innovative cocktails I've ever seen. And I'm talking from scratch."

Fair enough. But shouldn't the audience get a taste of the action? It's like torture watching these bartenders concoct amazing drinks, only to have the judges slurp them dry.

Greenfield said he felt the same way. So starting this Sunday, he'll remedy the situation: Hell's Kitchen will have a drink special featuring the most popular winning cocktail from the previous week.

Cheers to that.