Diageo opens World Class 2016 for entries

Diageo has announced that the World Class competition will return for its eighth year, and will officially open for entries during London Cocktail Week.

The champion of the Diageo Reserve World Class 2015 competition, Michito Kaneko

Fresh from the 2015 World Class final held last month in South Africa, which saw Japanese bartender Michito Kaneko triumph, the company has once again opened entries in a bid to discover the world’s most talented, innovative and creative bartenders of 2016.

World Class will officially open its 2016 competition to all bartenders in the World Class Hub at the UK’s largest drinks festival, London Cocktail Week.

The hub will house a World Class Bartender Studio, which will host a series of trade and consumer workshops running throughout the week, and will also recruit bartenders into the World Class Club; an introductory platform for entering the World Class 2016 competition.

Diageo Reserve World Class Brand Ambassador, Dan Dove, said: “The World Class London Cocktail Week hub is the perfect platform from which to launch this year’s competition – the new studio is fantastic as it allows us to facilitate training and insight ahead of a bartender’s entry. The quality of entries we witness never fails to surprise me, cocktail culture is so progressive and I can only anticipate our best year yet.”

The competition will see two phases of entries, resulting in two semi-final events – to be held in December 2015 and May 2016 – before ten UK finalists battle it out to be crowned GB champion in May 2016.

Phase one has been titled ‘Mindful Drinking’ and enables entrants to use Talisker, Singleton, Cardhu, Zacapa, Johnnie Walker Gold Label and Blue Label, Haig Club, and Bulleit Bourbon and Rye and will be open to entries between 30 October and 7 November.

Phase two will be open from 18–27 March and has been named ‘Fruits and Plants’, inviting bartenders to use Tanqueray No. 10, Ketel One Vodka and Ketel One Citroen, Cîroc and Cîroc Pineapple, Don Julio Blanco and Reposado and Jinzu.

To enter World Class 2016, bartenders are required to submit a cocktail recipes to www.theworldclassclub.com.

The judges, including Diageo Reserve World Class Brand Ambassador, Dan Dove will choose the top 50 entries, which will then become five in both of the semi-finals.

Head of Diageo Reserve GB, Nick Temperley, said: “World Class has evolved considerably over the last few years and remains the biggest and most respected bartender competition in the world. Every year, we see a heightened level of quality entries and this in turn inspires a new wave of talent to enter the following year.

“We are very proud of World Class and have built a network of the world’s best bartenders over the last seven years. I very much look forward to working with the next round of industry leaders and cocktail trend setters, with the guidance of our existing World Class community.”

The 2016 UK World Class champion will be awarded with the esteemed title and represent the nation at the global final.

They will also be invited to travel worldwide to educate and identify new talent, and become a mentor or judge in the following year’s competition.

In addition, the owner of the bar in which the UK winner works will receive a one off £10,000 marketing fund to create their own World Class ritual serve.