Advertorial Feature
With the five finalists from Burst One through to the UK final at Drummuir Castle in Scotland, Diageo Reserve World Class 2015 opens up for Burst Two entries.
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.
Burst One saw bartenders from across the country compete in a series of challenges culminating in the first finalists being chosen. Those five earning themselves a place in the UK final were:
- Luca Corradini – American Bar at The Savoy, London
- Tim Laferia – Red Bar at Bam-Bou, London
- Kyle Wilkinson – Blind Pig, London
- Jon Hughes – Bramble Bar, Edinburgh
- Jamie Jones – No Fixed Abode, Manchester
They will all be heading to Drummuir Castle in Scotland this June to fight it out to be the UK World Class Bartender of the Year. There are five more spots for the final up for grabs and now is your chance to bag one of those spaces.
Burst Two is now open for entries and they are asking bartenders to connect a bartending book with a piece of literature from an author, poet or journalist for inspiration.
You will be required to focus on the Diageo Reserve white spirits portfolio so you’ll be using Ketel One Vodka, Ciroc Vodka, Tanqueray No.TEN Gin and Don Julio Blanco, Reposado and Anejo Tequilas as the base for your cocktail. You can use Grand Marnier to enhance your cocktail if you wish but this isn’t mandatory.
Challenging contestants to make the ‘ultimate outdoor drink’, there is a focus on the Spring and Summer seasons as well as fresh, light ingredients. Cocktail entries can be vibrant single serves or a drink that can be shared, but must link back to the literature of choice such as a character or key theme. Entrants will need to visit the new website www.theworldclassclub.com for full competition details.
The prize simply for becoming the UK World Class Bartender of the Year is absolutely epic. As well as taking the esteemed title of the UK World Class Bartender of the Year and representing your country in the global final in South Africa, the winner will travel the world educating and inspiring new talent.
Further advancing your career, you will become a World Class judge and mentor, feature on the World Class TV show, and have the opportunity to create your own cocktail collection book to be released globally. The bar you work in will not only benefit from the prestige of working with the UK World Class Bartender of the Year, but will also be awarded a one-off £10,000 marketing fund to create their own, exclusive World Class ritual serve.
Goodness only knows what happens if you become the Global Winner and let’s not forget the UK has got a good track record in that respect.
To get involved you need to head to the World Class website here www.theworldclassclub.com and enter your cocktail before Sunday 29th March. From there judges will visit every single entrant in their bar before picking the 50 that will battle it out for those 5 remaining places.