Tuesday, March 10, 2015

DIAGEO RESERVE ANNOUNCES FIRST FIVE WORLD CLASS UK FINALISTS

Following rounds of intense training and competition, Diageo Reserve has announced the first five bartenders through to the UK final of one of the industry’s biggest and most prestigious bartending competitions; Diageo Reserve World Class.

Mixing and shaking their way to a place in the UK final are London’s Luca Corradini from the American Bar at The Savoy, Tim Laferla from the Red Bar at Bam-Bou, Kyle Wilkinson from the Blind Pig, alongside Jon Hughes from the Bramble Bar in Edinburgh and Jamie Jones from No Fixed Abode in Manchester.

Diageo Reserve World Class 2015 - First five UK finalists

All five bartenders proceed to the next stage of the competition held at Drummuir Castle in Scotland in June, where they will compete with an additional five semi-finalists, who are to be announced in April. 

As well as taking the title of the UK World Class Bartender of the Year and representing his or her country in the global final in South Africa, the winner will travel the world educating and inspiring new talent.

The winner will also further their career by becoming a World Class judge and mentor, feature on the World Class TV show, and have the opportunity to create their own cocktail collection book to be released globally. The winners bar will also be awarded a one-off £10,000 marketing fund to create their own, exclusive World Class serve.

Commenting on the news, Daniel Dove, Diageo Reserve World Class Brand Ambassador, said: “World Class is a celebration of the world’s best bartenders, the world’s best drinks and the world’s best spirits. The competition aims to elevate the craft of the bartender and inspire the world to care about what, where and how they drink, and our new semi-finalists have the skill, creativity and ambition to do just that. ”

“This year we have put competing bartenders through the paces more than ever, with rigorous challenges designed to test their sensory, accuracy, hosting and mixology skills.  The standard has been higher than ever and we can’t wait to see our finalists compete for a place in the global final, taking place in South Africa this September.”

Each year Diageo Reserve World Class discovers the next generation of bartending talent who set the latest mixology trends and bring these to the best bars worldwide. The bartenders are encouraged to innovate and experiment using some of the finest spirits within the Diageo Reserve portfolio.

Source: Fleet Street Communications