The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce shook things up with a contest to answer a thirsty person’s question: Who makes the city’s best cocktail?

The contest, called SIP-tember, pitted 64 cocktails from various Pasadena restaurants against each other in a weekly bracket competition. Restaurant patrons cast about 7,500 votes online during the month-and-a-half-long contest to choose their favorite drink.

The award, an engraved cocktail shaker, eventually went to Ruth’s Chris Steak House for its Broad Street Hurricane, a rum-based drink inspired by the restaurant’s New Orleans heritage.

Linda Jordan, the restaurant’s general manager, said the contest was a fun way to engage customers.

“I was quite surprised with the people who came in with printed lists of everyone’s cocktails,” she said. “Regular patrons would try out a few locations on the list. It was a fun night out for them.”

Ruth’s Chris originally entered four cocktails in the contest. The $12 hurricane beat out the restaurant’s popular Strawberry Basil Gimlet.

The Chamber of Commerce launched the contest Aug. 15, which would have been the 100th birthday of Pasadena chef Julia Child. They announced the winner last month at a party where the four cocktail finalists offered tastes of their drinks and other local restaurants gave away samples of their fare.

Paul Little, the chamber’s chief executive, hopes to bring the contest back next year.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm from the restaurants and the bartenders and the patrons,” Little said. “But next time, we’ll promote it a lot more.”