TOTCF names Diageo World Class US finalists
As part of its new partnership with Diageo, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) has revealed the top 15 US finalists for the 2026 World Class competition.
The Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker owner ended its World Class deal with the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) in July 2025 after 12 years of working together.
Last November, TOTCF announced it had joined forces with Diageo’s North American arm on a ‘new chapter’ for World Class.
As part of the new deal, TOTCF and Diageo will ‘reimagine’ the World Class programme by introducing more ways for bartenders to connect, alongside workshops in local markets.
Through the partnership, each of the top 15 finalists in the US leg of Diageo World Class will attend this year’s Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans (19-24 July).
Charlotte Voisey, executive director of TOTCF, said: “Bringing them to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail 2026 is not only a celebration of their achievement; it is an investment in the future of our industry.
“We believe in the power of education and community to transform careers, and we could not be more excited to share that experience with these extraordinary talents.”
TOTCF has now revealed the 15 bartenders who will compete in the national final in Chicago, Illinois, from 11-13 May.
The top 15 includes three from New York (Gonzalo Ramos, Kai Lucas and Kyler Nolan), two from Chicago (Elliott Reibert and Taylor Jamison-Parrish) and two from Los Angeles (Jason Briseno and Michelle Freed).
The remaining finalists are: Alexis Ortega (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Becky Rose (Aurora, Colorado), Bridget Ramsey (East Brunswick, New Jersey), Colin Williams (New Orleans, Louisiana), Jeff Banks (Decatur, Georgia), Mackenzie Helem (Seattle, Washington), Peter Hannah (Kissimmee, Florida) and Sierra Knight (Cincinnati, Ohio).
The final round will see the top five finalists take part in additional in-person challenges to determine who will be crowned the 2026 World Class US Bartender of the Year. The US champion will go on to compete in the global final this autumn in Dubai, UAE.
To decide who will proceed to the US final, the judges recreated and evaluated the original cocktail recipes submitted by the top 100 competitors as part of the initial World Class application.
The recipes were examined on creativity, technique, flavour, and overall execution.
“World Class is designed to celebrate and champion the craft, creativity, and dedication that define the bartending community,” added Erin Creighton, director of marketing for on-premise at Diageo.
“The talent represented in this year’s top 15 finalists reflects the incredible evolution of cocktail culture in the US.”
Last year saw Nic Wallace represent the US at the World Class final in Toronto, Canada, but he was beaten by Norway’s Felice Capasso.
In December, TOTCF revealed plans to bring its Tales on Tour event to five US cities this year. The second stop on the tour heads to Dallas this week (23-24 March) and will continue in Los Angeles from 13-14 April.
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