NOLA duo launch spirit awards judged by bartenders, for bartenders
Spirits awards tend to happen somewhere overseas, and are generally judged by a group of people you’ve never heard of.
When the results are announced, a flurry of press releases appear on Facebook for a day, with a seemingly endless number of gold medals being awarded – all great fodder for PR agencies but with little relevance to Joe Bartender behind the stick.
Things are about to change however, with the launch of the UK-based Bartender’s Best Awards (BBA).
Created by James Triffo and Dan Priseman, the chaps behind award winning bar NOLA, these awards are all about bartender relevance, with a panel of senior judges made up of some of the UK’s best known bottle jockeys, and the opportunity for you, Joe (or Jane) Bartender, to become a judge too.
Brands are able to submit as many products as they wish, with the resulting categories assessed by two senior judges and a panel of bartender volunteers. The assessment process will be independently monitored, and judges will be screened to ensure they have no affiliation with the sector or any products that have been entered. The ensuing results will have direct relevance to the trade, having been chosen by bartenders, for bartenders.
The Bartender’s Best Awards are now open for product submission, and bartender judge applications.
The Bartender’s Best Scholarship Trust
Using a percentage of the profits from the brand entries into the Bartender’s Best Awards, a scholarship trust fund (BBST) will be created with the express purpose of helping bartenders to gain professional qualifications to further their career in the drinks industry.
Through the BBST, any bartender in the UK will be able to apply for funding to pay for them to acquire professional accreditation through our official educational partners the WSET, an organisation dedicated to raising the levels of education in the hospitality industry.
Details can be found on the Bartender’s Best Website.
We look forward to watching what is one of the most exciting UK industry launches unfold during the coming months.