Belvedere launches James Bond cocktail comp

As part of its partnership with new James Bond film Spectre, Belvedere has launched a global cocktail competition for bartenders across the world.

Belvedere’s cocktail competition seeks to find a contemporary classic Martini

The Belvedere Challenge, which opened for entries this week, is encouraging bartenders from across 60 countries to enter their ultimate recipe for a Belvedere Martini.

The creator of the winning recipe will win a week at Ian Fleming’s Golden Eye resort in Jamaica, the location for the film Goldeneye, as well as the opportunity to have their Martini served at all premieres of Spectre.

Bartenders are required to submit a five-minute video of themselves demonstrating how to create their Belvedere Martini as well as historical knowledge of the cocktail.

From all the entries, 45 will go through to three semi-finals held in Berlin, New York and Sydney, before nine are selected for the grand final in London in June.

The nine finalists will be required to undergo a series of challenges before the winner is announced on World Martini Day on 19 June.

Claire Smith-Warner, head of spirit creation at Belvedere, said: “We are looking for a bartender who appreciates the character of Belvedere and enhances it through the use of other ingredients, expresses knowledge of the spirit and who knows how to make cocktails with a lightness of touch.”

She added that bartenders should work with classic Belvedere, rather than the brand’s flavours, as the judges would be looking for “contemporary classics” rather than iterations of “apple or bubblegum Martinis”.

Entries are open now at belvederevodka.com/thechallenge, and will be accepted until 12 April.

Belvedere’s partnership with the latest Bond film, which will premiere in the UK on 23 October, has been called the biggest marketing initiative by the brand in its history.