World class cocktail mixing starts now in South Africa

A cocktail barman flaring at the World Class launch event.

Hosted in conjunction with leading consumer and trade media partners, the competition has been established to promote South Africa's leading bars and bartenders to consumers worldwide and promises to be an important event on the bar industry calendar this year. Marchant has created all of the bartending challenges for the competitions, which were first launched in 2009, as he is passionate about growing global awareness of drinks creativity and brands.

Starting this month, each month will be dedicated to a different spirit category that comprises Diageo's Reserve Brands portfolio, which includes spirits such as Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky, Ciroc Vodka, Tanqueray No Ten Gin and Don Julio Tequila.

Bartenders from selected outlets who wish to compete will submit a cocktail of their making using a spirit chosen from one of the categories in the portfolio.

Regional finalists from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban will be chosen based on the name/concept, appearance and taste of their cocktails. They will then compete to prove their worth as one of six bartenders at the national final. The winning bartender at this event will represent South Africa in the international final taking place in Brazil this July.

The overall winner will publish a globally distributed cocktail book; travel the world acting as the global representative for the World Class Program; be the face of the World Class Program retail campaign in high-end stores across the globe and have an open (all expenses paid) invitation to visit the brand's distilleries to meet the distillers.