World’s best bartender Charles Joly leaves Aviary

Charles Joly, named the “world’s best bartender” in this year’s Diageo Reserve World Class, is to leave his position at Chicago’s The Aviary.

Charles Joly will leave his position at Chicago’s The Aviary to pursue other “unique opportunities”

Joly, who won the Diageo cocktail competition in August this year, has worked at The Aviary since 2012. He will leave his post as beverage director for the bar at the end of this month, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Aviary partner Nick Kokonas said that Joly had decided to “pursue the unique opportunities which his current status as Diageo World Class winner present”.

He continued: “We wish him every success, and know that he will continue to be a great ambassador for cocktails in America and beyond and also a classy representative of The Aviary and the City of Chicago.”

As well as working as an ambassador for Diageo Reserve, Joly will also continue to his Craft House Cocktails business, a natural, gluten-free bottled cocktail company.

He will be succeed as beverage director of The Aviary by Micah Melton.