Diageo Reserve Announces Location Of WORLD CLASS® Bartender Of The Year Global Final Competition 2016

United States of America will host the biggest battle to find the World's best bartender

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Oct 12, 2015, 10:35 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- WORLD CLASS, the industry's most prestigious and respected mixology competition, announced that the 2016 Global Final Bartender competition will take place in Miami, The United States in September. The Global Final will see the world's best bartenders battling in a series of innovative cocktail and mixology challenges and be judged by the world's most respected mixologists and taste experts to be crowned with the title of the World's best bartender of the year.

While there can be only one global winner, the bartender talent on show throughout the WORLD CLASS experience will demonstrate how the knowledge of quality spirits, the pedigree of ingredients and the pioneering of drinks-making techniques are cultivating next-level creativity underlining the fact that bartenders are as talented and creative as their chef counterparts.

Matteo Fantacchiotti, Global Commercial Vice President, Diageo Reserve, said, "Since its launch in 2009, WORLD CLASS has been instrumental in transforming fine drinking and cocktail culture around the world. The global finals have travelled to different hotspots cities in the world and now lands in the United States. The location cannot be better. Miami represents today a hotspot and iconic place for luxury experiences, creativity, gastronomy, impeccable hospitality and diversity of cultures that totally fits with the internationality of World Class."

The competition is part of a fully integrated program that aims to increase the quality of consumer's experiences in fine drinking, offering support and training to thousands of bartenders and bars to improve their skills. To date, the program has inspired and educated more than 25,000 bartenders worldwide while working in partnership with bars, restaurants, night-clubs and hotels to build their business and offer a better experience to consumers.

James Thompson, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, Diageo North America, noted, "The United States and great cosmopolitan cities, like Miami are continually on the leading edge of driving cocktail culture and what better way to celebrate the richness than to bring our WORLD CLASS final competition to one of America's great cocktail cities for the first time ever. With growing interest and participation in the US program each year, we have been highly anticipating this moment and feel that the timing is perfect especially due to the growth and success of several of our reserve brands in the portfolio such as Bulleit Bourbon, Tanqueray No. Ten and Tequila Don Julio. Bartenders in the US are continuing to drive global trends and push new boundaries and we are thrilled to serve as a host country. We are looking forward to welcoming the global cocktail community to Miami in September and know it will be a groundbreaking week of competition."

WORLD CLASS bartenders and the venues where they work are synonymous with sophistication, impeccable service and pushing the boundaries of contemporary and experiential cocktail culture. The competition celebrates the creme de la creme of the world's bartenders – those who will set industry trends and standards at the world's best bars while elevating the craft and building the cocktail culture around the world.

"WORLD CLASS is on a mission to make the world drink better – it is a marque of distinction that guarantees the best in drinking experiences whether that's the world's best bartenders, bars, spirits, drinks, recipes or entertainment. Since its inception, World Class has been passionate about giving the bartenders the spotlight they deserve for being incredibly talented professionals whose skill is on a par with the world's best chefs but also supporting them to increase their skills and be able to create better and great drinking experiences to consumers", complemented Matteo Fantacchiotti.

WORLD CLASS global finals competition started the journey in London (2009), Athens (2010), New Delhi (2011), Rio de Janeiro (2012), an open seas experience on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean (2013), Great Britain (2014) and South Africa (2015). The number of countries participating in the competition has nearly tripled between 2009 and 2015 – from 18 to 54.

The skill and talent of WORLD CLASS bartenders is honed using the collection of fine spirits from the Diageo Reserve luxury portfolio – KETEL ONE Vodka, CIROC Vodka, TANQUERAY No. TEN Gin DON JULIO Tequila, ZACAPA rum, JOHNNIE WALKER GOLD LABEL RESERVE Blended Scotch Whisky, JOHNNIE WALKER PLATINUM LABEL Blended Scotch Whisky, JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL Blended Scotch Whisky, BULLEIT Bourbon, Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky, The SINGLETON Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and TALISKER Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

In the lead up to the Global Final, WORLD CLASS continues to elevate the cocktail culture with World Class Bars experiences taking place in different cities around the world, training to thousands of bartenders, a TV show entering into the home of more than 180 million people globally and stories and recipes developed by the world's best bartenders will be brought to life to consumers everywhere.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Notes to editors:

About Diageo

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan's and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

About Diageo Reserve

Diageo Reserve represents the luxury division of Diageo, a multi-award winning portfolio of fine spirits rich in heritage, craftsmanship and innovation.

The World Class Collection of brands includes: Ciroc vodka, Tanqueray No. TEN and Tanqueray London Dry gins, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Platinum Label and Gold Label Reserve Scotch Whiskies, Tequila Don Julio, Zacapa rum, Ketel One vodka, Haig Club single grain Scotch Whisky, Bulleit Bourbon, Talisker, Mortlach and Singleton single malt Scotch Whiskies.

About Diageo Reserve World Class™

DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS™ is transforming fine drinking experiences and cocktail culture around the world and in the home. The industry's largest, most credible investment in the luxury on trade, it discovers the next generation of bartending talent who set the latest mixology trends and bring these to the best bars worldwide.

At the core is an outstanding, global training programme and internationally recognised platform that elevates the craft of the bartender and builds careers in the industry culminating in an annual luxury landmark week where the DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS™ Bartender of the Year is announced. Launched in 2009, over 25,000 bartenders have been inspired and educated in the craft of mixology using the finest spirits in the DIAGEO RESERVE collection.

A partnership and collaboration with gurus, media, partners and owners, DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS® is widely recognised as a mark of sophistication and distinction of international fine drinking culture by bartenders and customers alike.

Diageo promotes responsible drinking.

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SOURCE Diageo