Alexandra Tsatsouli wins Bartenders Society 2025 competition
Bartender Alexandra Tsatsouli soared to victory against 13 global finalists to be crowned champion of The Bartenders Society 2025 cocktail competition.
This year marked the 10th year of The Bartenders Society contest, hosted by La Martiniquaise-Bardinet and Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits. As such, the theme for this year was ‘the anniversary, celebrating a special event that marked you for the past 10 years’.
To mark the milestone occasion, the challenge took place in Martinique at the Saint James Distillery, owned by La Martiniquaise-Bardinet.
Tsatsouli, who hails from the Naked Athens bar in Greece, impressed the judges with her two cocktails, one of which had to be made without alcohol.
Her alcoholic creation was Banana Breadown, made with 40ml Saint James VSOP, 10ml Marie Brizard peach syrup, 20ml White Cocoa Marie Brizard, and 50ml Ethiopian cold brew clarified with milk and infused with banana bread.
Tsatsouli’s alcohol-free creation comprised 50ml Caraibos mango juice, homemade lemongrass juice, Marie Brizard passion fruit syrup infused with ginger and basil, and four drops of saline solution.
For 2025, Matthias Giroud, co-founder of The Alchimiste Group, chaired the judging panel.
The judges were: Nathalie Hobe, international brand ambassador for Marie Brizard and founder of Nomad Spirits Agency; Ian Burrell, global rum ambassador; Kate Boushel, an award-winning bartender and partner – education and strategic partnerships for the Barocco Group; Daniele Dalla Pola, creator of Alamea Liqueurs and the upcoming Voyage brand; Javier De Las Muelas, founder of the Gimlet and Dry Martini Organisation; and Ned Ratcliffe, bartender and winner of The Bartenders Society 2024.
Second place for the 2025 competition was awarded to Danish finalist Caspar Mönniche from the Hella cocktail bar, and third place was awarded to Spanish finalist Jonathan Shuber Garcia Montesdeoca from Bad Company 1920 in Spain.
The 11 outstanding competitors were: Dan Lynch from Permanent Vacation in the US, Renan Lopes de Oliveira from Brazil, Gloria Grassi from Rush Bologna in Italy, Maximilien Jean from The Cloakroom Bar in Canada, Augusto Valentino Calandruccio from Die Tagesbar in Germany, Jules Verlinden from Bijou Balls & Booze in Belgium, Joe Clapham from Speak in Code in Manchester, Bartosz Jankuniec from Flisak ‘76 in Poland, Lionel Birota from Ginger Bar in Martinique, Benoît Guerin from Santeuil Café in France, and Nuno Careirra of Quinta da Freira Events in Portugal.
This year also marks 260 years of Saint James and 270 years of Marie Brizard.
Watch the video below for a look at the 2025 global final in Martinique, and stay tuned on The Spirits Business for further insights from this year’s anniversary final.
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