Bartender of the Year finalists announced

Jack Sotti of Australia, Viteslav Cirok of the Czech Republic, Alistair Reynolds of Great Britain, Manolis Lykiardopoulos of Greece, Ariel Leizgold of Israel and Michito Kaneko of Japan were chosen after an exhaustive judging process, presided over by leading authorities in the world of fine drinking and experiential cocktail culture.

In a ceremony honouring all 54 contestants, World Class global brand ambassador and judge Spike Marchant said: "The talent on display this year has surpassed our already high expectations. It was almost impossible to predict who the top six would be because the level of skill was consistent across all competitors - exceptionally high. But what else would you expect when you have the best bartenders in the world under one roof? It was the toughest competition we've ever had the honour to judge."