'Bartender Wars': Another reason to wish you had Fine Living Network?

Oh, Fine Living Network. You taunt me with the words “Fine Living,” and now, with a show called Bartender Wars. Here’s what the press release says about this reality competition series premiering Oct. 16:

“Bartender Wars features some of the finest — and hottest — bartenders in New York City who ‘mix it up’ every day at some of the most popular spots including Stone Rose, Socialista, Buddakan, The Peninsula and W Hotels. Host Egypt Sherrod rallies these contestants as they challenge each other from seeing who can get the biggest tips to the most phone numbers to creating the most unusual — and delicious — cocktails. Each episode will feature a particular liquor ranging from tequila to champagne, and the contestants will have to engage in five challenges: the ‘Quick Shot,’ based on speed; ‘Happy Hour’ which involves patrons in the festivities; a technical challenge; the ‘Liquor Picker’ where the bartenders have to throw darts to select the ingredients they’ll use for their signature drinks; ‘The Wheel of Challenges’ where the guest judge will challenge the bartenders in games such as ‘Mimic the Master,’ ‘Celeb in a Glass’ and ‘Not Quite Seven Deadly Sins’; and finally the ‘Lightning Round’ which gets patrons involved in a physical challenge. A special guest judge will join Egypt on the judging panel in each episode including some of the world’s most notable bartenders and mixologists including Erica Lancelloti, Dale DeGroff, Eben Freeman and Charlotte Voisey.”

Maybe it’s all those years spent watching scripted TV where you knew the alcohol was never real, but the prospect of seeing this much booze on screen — and drunk patron participation! — would make me very excited if my cable package included Fine Living Network. Also, if I were to find out that Tom Cruise was a guest judge and his “Mimic the Master” game involved recreating a scene from Cocktail. You?