Diageo has always been about doing more than just making and selling amazing brands, but also training the people that serve their products and educating the people that drink them. We love their delicious booze, but if you don’t teach people about the little nuances of drinking and serving, that “total package” experience is lost. They are continuing that commitment to education with the 2013 Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year competition, which pits bartenders from all over the globe against each other to see which mixologist comes out on top.
Diageo has partnered up with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line to deliver an on-board cocktail training program to find a finalist that will go to the Reserve World Class final. 400 cruise line bartenders will be trained in cutting edge cocktail-making trends, as well as coached to develop creativity and showmanship.
Good drinks are one of the most crucial amenities a cruise ship needs to offer, so we are glad these bartenders are getting a chance to show their skills and improve them for the next time we need a vacation.
Bartenders from the U.S. are invited to enter for a chance to become the Diageo World Class U.S. Bartender of the Year. Just enter through the website, but keep in mind that online entry closes on April 30. You have to fill out a personal profile, upload a video showcasing your personality and submit a world class recipe using at least one of the Diageo Reserve brands. There are also three training modules on the website that you must participate in and get at least an 80% on. The trainings are:
- Retro Chic: An understanding of cocktail evolution from classics to their modern counterparts
- Tropical Journey: An understanding of Tiki culture, tropical ingredients and next-generation tropical drinks
- Hollywood, Bollywood, Hong Kong: An understanding of the art of cocktail presentation and service
In the spirit of education, here are a few quick home bartending tips if competing in the Reserve World Class final isn’t something that will be happening for you in the near future…
- Don’t have a fancy shaker? Tupperware works, too.
- Don’t over pour. Stronger is not always better. Follow the recipes and trust they were written that way for a reason.
- Invest in good glasses. There’s nothing like drinking a margarita out of your kid’s sippy cup to kill your buzz.