Top tips for the IBA World Cocktail Championship

As bartenders around the world prepare for the IBA Congress and World Cocktail Championship (WCC) in Bulgaria, we round up the top tips they should remember to impress the judges.

The IBA Congress and World Cocktail Championship (WCC) will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 10-15 October

Take one week, around 500 bartenders, and a good measure of gusto. What do you get? The IBA Congress and World Cocktail Championship (WCC), a showcase of global bartending talent and a real hub of innovation and inspiration.

Following the success of South Africa in 2014, this year the 64th IBA Meeting will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 10-15 October. A packed programme is set to keep everyone on their toes, with cocktail making, conference sessions and good old-fashioned catching up all high on the agenda for the week.

After arrival on Day One, delegates will have the opportunity to meet with and greet the IBA Board and Associate Members. A welcome evening cocktail is followed by dinner, with a Guild Uniform dress code in place throughout.

Be sure to wake up fresh for Sunday, because while the IBA Annual General Meeting commences, competitors, delegates and guests will be whisked off for a Sofia city tour. There will also be the opportunity for competitors to check in with the organising committee and to make sure that their submitted recipe is all set to go. A “Bulgarian Night” evening of festivities rounds off the day before the serious competition work gets underway the following morning.

The World Cocktail Championships proceed from 9am on the Monday with six categories to be contested: Before Dinner; Sparkling; Long Drink; After Dinner; Flairtending; and Bartenders’ Choice. On the first day don’t miss the drama and spectacle of the flairtending qualifying; the opportunity to see the world’s greatest flairers in action is not to be missed.

Tuesday sees the Classic Cocktail Championships kick off, before the WCC Flairtending Final takes place. Who will be crowned winner? Expect theatre throughout and pizazz aplenty as bartenders fight it out.

Events get a little more sedate but no less stirring on Wednesday as the IBA Symposium gets going. Expect topics as diverse as cocktail trends and an in-depth look at glassware to grace the bill, as all guild presidents, competitors and delegates gather for the annual meeting.

Then it’s the main event: the World Cocktail Championships Super Final where this year’s world-beating bartenders will be recognised for their work.

All that will remain is to eat, drink and make merry at the Gala Dinner and Monin Cocktail Party, celebrating all the successes of the past week.

Click through the following pages to see the top tips for success at the IBA Congress and World Cocktail Championship. Good luck from The Spirits Business team!

Dress to impress

Permitted attire includes the colour of your guild, or the full bartender’s uniform of the company you represent. Don’t forget, branding from drink manufacturers other than IBA Associate Member companies is forbidden.

Don’t get carried away when it comes to ingredients

The maximum for each cocktail is six – and that includes garnishes inside the glass which touch the liquid, plus any vapour or zest sprays.

Don’t be afraid to free pour

It’s not mandatory to use measures, but don’t include more than 7cl of alcohol in any cocktail.

Get techy

Airs and foams are allowed in all competitions – but they must be made in the presence of a judge and count towards the six ingredients limit.  

Don’t forget your toolkit

Competitors must use their own utensils to prepare the cocktail – no tools will be supplied by IBA, although the host country will offer a basic carafe for pouring fresh juices.

Be speedy

All flairtenders will also take part in a “speed round”. Get set to prepare three cocktails, at speed, to be assessed on taste and how well you completed the task.