Courvoisier Connoisseurs competition returns
Campari-owned Courvoisier Cognac has brought back its Connoisseurs cocktail competition, which spotlights the next generation of UK bartending talent.
This year’s theme, selected by the Campari Academy, is ‘Your Story Remixed’.
Competitors will be asked to create two signature serves that capture the ‘bold elegance’ of Courvoisier, one cocktail inspired by a defining moment in their bartending career, and another channelling this experience through a classic cocktail based on Courvoisier VSOP.
The first 500 applicants will receive a bespoke Connoisseur Pack, featuring a bottle of Courvoisier VSOP and exclusive brand merch, alongside full competition details.
Ten semi-finalists will be shortlisted to compete in a formal presentation held in London on 10 August.
Extra points will be awarded to those who activate their cocktail in an on-trade venue beforehand.
The final will bring the top three semi-finalists to a live cocktail-making competition in Jarnac, France, where one winner will be crowned.
The winner will bag £10,000 (US$13,389) to put towards their bartending career.
Tristram Fini, spirits & champagne portfolio ambassador at Campari Group UK, said: “After such an amazing response to our first competition in 2025, we’re thrilled to share that Courvoisier Connoisseurs is back for 2026.
“At Courvoisier, we believe that no matter where you are on your bartending journey, you deserve a platform to shine and space to grow. We want to invest in your bartending future, and by offering our winner a substantial prize primed to be put towards your dreams, this is a competition you will want to be a part of.
“It’s a chance to showcase what you can do with Courvoisier in crafting innovative cocktails that tell us about you and those moments that made you.”
To enter, applicants must register on the Campari Academy website by 12 May, after which they will receive a submission link.
They then must submit the recipes of their two cocktails by 12 June.
Campari bought Courvoisier from Suntory Global Spirits in 2024.
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