Jameson Black Barrel contest reveals finalists

Pernod Ricard-owned Jameson Irish whiskey has unveiled the top 10 finalists in its Black Barrel Bartender Challenge 2024.

The Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series cocktail competition returned for its third consecutive year in 2024.

The 10 finalists were chosen and announced on 7 June by global judges Danil Nevsky from Indie Bartender, Spain; Priyanka Blah from The Dram Attic, India; and Ethan Liu from CMYK, China.

The regional winners each received €500 (US$535/£420) and an all-expenses-paid trip to Ireland to attend the Jameson Hosts Global Summit. The contestants were judged based on how their entry celebrated their local cultures and communities and how they created a unique, regionally-inspired cocktail using Jameson Black Barrel.

The final 10 are: Melanie Hack from Australia, Borty Jessika from Indonesia, Yu Kajitani from Ireland, Vladimir Reitenbakh from Kazakhstan, Rohan Matmary from Malaysia, Andrea Maseglia from New Zealand, Linus Schwaerzler from Switzerland, Parbun Bunragsatrakul from Thailand, Josh Black from the UK and Natasha Sinkala from Zambia.

The Global Summit will be held on 3-5 September. There, the top three will be decided through a taste test and live, anonymous voting.

The three global champions will each win €5000 (US$5,370/£4,230) and get access to a Jameson mentoring programme. The programme includes in-person and virtual sessions with industry experts such as Nevsky, bar owners Ezra Star and Beckaly Franks, and summit curator Remy Savage.

“Mentorship is something I have always made part of my identity as a bartender and bar owner. I believe it is the past, present and future of our industry, and I am very happy to continue to mentor the next wave of creatives and be part of their journey in this community,” said Savage, who will also be hosting seminars at the summit.

Each mentor will host the one-to-one sessions, commencing with a face-to-face session at the Jameson Hosts Global Summit, after the

global champions’ win, and followed by virtual sessions.

“This year, the competition will not just offer a traditional monetary prize; we have added a mentorship element to ensure that the legacy of this competition gives back to the community it is inspired by. Access to some of the best in the business where they can discuss areas such as bar operations, social media, and bar/menu concept, each of which has been chosen following feedback from the community that this would be instrumental to their career,” said Tony O’Brien, global advocacy manager at Jameson.

“We feel like this is an extraordinary prize this year, with all regional winners also experiencing a one-of-a-kind trip to Ireland to visit our Jameson Hosts Global Summit, where they will also have access to networking and connection opportunities with peers that might otherwise be challenging or exist solely online. This is what it’s all about, really, bringing the global bar community together so they can connect, learn from each other, and be inspired.”