The 2016 Puerto Rico World Class Bartender of the Year will take place at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel on Tuesday June 14th with the Grand Final on Thursday June 16th. The general public are invited to attend both days, but most of all the 16th, when the celebration event will take place after announcing the winner at 8:30PM
Mixing, combining, entertaining, and impressing with innovative techniques are some of the many rigorous components a World Class bartender must have in order to truly stand out from the competition in this prestigious contest with such international reach. Only ten of the best and most talented bartenders from Puerto Rico have been able to secure a spot in the Local Final of the World Class Competition, which for the past eight consecutive years has taken place in over 50 countries simultaneously.
The competition is built upon the most extensive luxury spirits portfolio, such as Ketel One and Cîroc vodkas, the tequila Don Julio, rum Zacapa, the gin Tanqueray No. Ten, scotch whiskey Johnnie Walker Deluxe, and the American whiskey Bulleit.
The Local Final for the first time will take place on two separate days: Tuesday, June 14th , and then Thursday, June 16th in the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, on this final day Puerto Rico’s World Class Bartender will finally be crowned.
This year, among the main challenges for the Local Final will be “Cocktails Against the Clock”, where participants will have 10 minutes to make 10 cocktails and impress the judges with their speed, creativity, and talent under pressure. The next challenge called “Before and After” will test their abilities to craft cocktails in order to delight your palate with an aperitif cocktail and a digestive cocktail.
Following these two challenges, the two finalists will move on to the final round on Thursday, June 16th. This next challenge, titled “Pop up Bar”, is fundamental to the selection of the World Class Bartender Puerto Rico 2016. Pop Up Bar is focused on bringing out the innate professionalism and idiosyncrasy of each mixologist. Here the bartender will have to demonstrate his aptitude and identity as a mixologist – creating his own bar, menu, and method in which the drinks are presented.
During this year, bartenders from Puerto Rico’s best bars and restaurants will learn about the latest techniques and trends in the mixology industry. Attendees will also be able to increase their knowledge of Ketel and Cîroc vodkas, tequila Don Julio, rum Zacapa, gin Tanqueray No. Ten, Scotch whiskey Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve and the American whiskey Bulleit. These spirits are known as World Class Spirits, considered to be the Ultra-Premium and Reserve brands, distributed by Méndez & Co., which are also part of Diageo’s Reserve brands portfolio.
In the first seminar, bartenders were taught about an essential trend in mixology: the use of fruits and plants as central ingredients in the crafting of cocktails. The guru in these seminars was Ariel Leizgold, second finalist of World Class 2015, where he explained the world of fruits and plants and how they can be used throughout the whole year, either fresh or preserved. The second seminar, led by Chef Alejandro Cuellar, consisted in teaching about the history and scientific details of crafting cocktails using food ingredients such as fish, meat and bones
At the end of each seminar, bartenders had the chance to practice what they just learned in the competition. The most outstanding scores were then placed to be among the ten finalists. The bartenders and their places of work
- Carlos Irizarry (La Factoría)
- Hector Ortiz (Casa Blanca Neighborhood Grill)
- Jorge Busch (La Coctelera)
- Joey Fernández (Nonna Cucina Rustica)
- Nabil Revan (La Cubanita)
- Edwin Borrero (La Factoría)
- Iván Reyes (San Juan Water Beach Hotel)
- Xiomara Rosado (Condado Vanderbilt Hotel)
- Luis Pagán (Chicharrón Restaurant)
- José Hernández (Parcela Gastropub)
For the crowning of the World Class Bartender of Puerto Rico, who will represent us in Miami for the Global Final in September, we welcome the public to attend the celebration, beginning at 8:30PM in the Condado Vanderbilt.
World Class is the only platform that groups together the most extensive and impressive portfolio of luxury spirits and has done so consistently for the past eight years. Diageo Reserve has been a staple in the history of mixology with this program that develops the talent of the bartenders as well as educates and inspires the public to savor the experience of an artfully crafted cocktail with liquors of high quality.
2016 Puerto Rico World Class Bartender of the Year
When: June 14 & 16, 2016
Location: Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
GPS: 18.458524, -66.076121
Parking: Hotel Parking
Source: Press Release
