The Irish leg of the World Class Bartender of the Year Competition is underway. Bartenders from across Ireland are invited to apply to enter the world’s most prestigious and respected bartender competition before it closes on Sunday, 31st March 2019. The winner will represent Ireland at the World Class Global Finals in Glasgow this September. Here, they will compete against the best in the world, using the world’s best-selling spirits collection from the Diageo Reserve portfolio, which includes Tanqueray No. TEN gin, Ketel One Vodka and Bulleit Bourbon. 

Since its launch in 2009, Diageo Reserve’s World Class Bartender of the Year Competition has been instrumental in transforming fine drinking and cocktail culture around the world. In over 60 countries, World Class has supported, educated and inspired over 250,000 bartenders through its training and advocacy programme. The World Class Bartender of the Year Competition brings together the best bartending talent from around the globe to decide who will be crowned the world’s best bartender.

The 2019 Competition in Ireland kicks off with tasking bartenders to produce one serve from the below options:

  1. Johnnie Walker Black Label base integrated with a pre-smoked ingredient.
  2. Talisker 10 Year Old base that has a twist on a classic Tiki cocktail highlighting a story and a rationale to accompany the serve.
  3. Ron Zacapa 23 base incorporating a classic flavour pairing to create a contemporary serve.

Bartenders are invited to go to www.theworldclassclub.com/enter-competition to submit their entry by Sunday, 31st March. In-bar judging with the top ten bartenders in Ireland will be held in April, with the top five then selected to attend the semi-finals in May.

The top three bartenders in Ireland will battle it out at the World Class Ireland Final, which will be hosted in the newly opened Roe & Co Distillery in the heart of Dublin 8 in June.

The four judges for the Competition this year comprise of Mark Moriarty, Irish chef and Diageo Global Gastronomer, Alan Mulvihill, European Ambassador for Roe & Co Irish Whiskey, Carl D’Alton, World Class Irish Bartender of the Year 2018 and Ervin Trykowski, Global Scotch Whiskey Ambassador for The Singleton.

On representing Ireland at the 2018 World Class Global Final in Berlin Carl D’Alton of Cask in Cork said, “I had the most incredible journey with World Class last year. I was honored to represent Ireland, competing alongside some of the best bartenders in the world, and to be judged by some of the most iconic names in the industry. To come in the top 3 best bartenders in Europe, and 12th in the world was something I really couldn’t have dreamt of. I would recommend any bartender out there to enter the competition, as you never know where it will take you!”

For more information check out www.theworldclassclub.com