Desi Daru Culture Colliders crowns 2025 champion
The 2025 winner of the Desi Daru Culture Colliders cocktail competition is Carlos Garcia Picon from Bar Antoine at the Four Seasons Park Lane, London.
Garcia Picon went head to head with nine other finalists during the second iteration of the contest.
He took home the trophy, a cheque for £2,500 (US$3,270), a Michelin-starred meal for two, and a visit to the distillery where Desi Daru is made in the UK as his prize.
Each contestant was tasked with creating an original cocktail using Desi Daru Alphonso Mango Vodka, a traditionally Indian ingredient, plus an ingredient from their home country.
Sitting on the judging panel this year were: Aneet Kaur, co-founder of Desi Daru; Sukhinder Singh, co-founder of Elixir Distillers; Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business; and Vitor Sousa, winner of the inaugural Culture Colliders 2024 competition.
Mohit Singh co-founded Desi Daru with his wife Kaur. Together, they commented: “This was a really special day, and the judges’ scores were very tight, but Carlos’ creativity, storytelling and presentation really stood out.
“It was so heart-warming to hear people’s stories of their hometowns and how this translated into their cocktail.
“The bartending community is such a melting pot of cultures and it’s incredible to see this reflected in incredible mixology. The energy in the room was fantastic and it’s great to see people connect.
“We really appreciate all the energy and time that all of our finalists put into the competition, and we look forward to returning for 2026.”
Born in Colombia, raised in Spain and now living in London in the UK, Garcia Picon endeavoured to blend traditions that appear worlds apart in his drink, like yin and yang.
Building on Desi Daru Alphonso Mango, he included vermouth infused with English hops, and sparkling chai masato (which was inspired by a Colombian indigenous fermented rice drink, enhanced with Indian chai spices).
After winning the competition, Garcia Picon said: “The Culture Colliders 2025 was an incredible experience for me in an ever-changing competition culture. The quality within this competition was truly outstanding and I felt honoured to be a part of a competition that promotes cultural diversity within the bartending world and they celebrate that culture together.
“After living in three different countries (Colombia, Spain and UK) it was great to finally be able to showcase my influences as well as learn about other people’s cultures, influence and stories. I feel so honoured to win among such an amazing palette of talented fellow finalists and their amazing creations.
“I really look forward to visiting the distillery to learn all insights of the best flavoured vodka in the world, Desi Daru Mango Vodka.”
Second place was awarded to Stephen Bond from Habibi in Leeds, who impressed with his cocktail Dinner Plans and Spice Racks. He received £500 (US$654), a Michelin-starred meal for two, plus a trip to the distillery where Desi Daru is made.
In third place was Chloe Southam from The Royal Cocktail Exchange, who stood out with her drink Golden Mile Glow. Her prize was £250 (US$327), a Michelin-starred meal for two, plus a trip to the distillery where Desi Daru is made.
Desi Daru confirmed the cocktail competition would return for another year in 2026.
The vodka brand recently secured a listing in Waitrose stores across the UK.
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