How Diageo’s ‘World Class’ Bartending Competition Keeps Its Brands Relevant
Last night Jacob Martin from Canada was recognised by industry legends as the 2023 World Class Global Bartender of the Year. Triumphing over 10,000 other elite bartenders who attempted this year’s Everest of bartending.
The competition saw Jacob participate in a series of challenges over four days. From creating classic cocktails and elevating them to a TEN with bartender favourite, Tanqueray No. TEN, Jacob also dared to go one step beyond with Johnnie Walker Black Label’s versatility of flavours, as well as creating a Ketel One ‘Garnished with Good’ cocktail which not only impressed the judges with its flavour creativity but delivered a positive impact in their local community in Canada.
As part of the competition, São Paulo has seen world-renowned bartenders descend on the city to judge the event and host special ‘World Class’ experiences in some of the city’s most iconic nightlife venues.
World Class is a unique event that’s grown into the most prestigious bartender competition in the world since its launch in 2009 by Diageo, and has broadened to become much more than that besides.
To understand the competition and its role for Diageo better, LBB’s Alex Reeves speaks to Marissa Johnston, global head of World Class and advocacy at Diageo.
LBB> What is World Class?
Marissa> World Class is first and foremost a bartender competition, founded in 2009. But over the decades, as cocktail culture around the world has evolved, so has the programme. At its core, World Class is on a mission to inspire people to drink better and create unforgettable experiences in the process.
Whether at home or in a bar, World Class encourages people to think and care about what, where and how they drink, and in doing so, discover the best of cocktail culture. Alongside the competition, we have the World Class Cocktail Festival, which is the opportunity to bring the World Class experience straight to the consumer. This year, the festival extends to over 2,000 venues across the whole of Brazil. In São Paulo this year, we’ve introduced an Industry Forum, an opportunity for us to engage, educate and inspire the hospitality community with a variety of panel sessions and seminars – all focused on topics affecting the hospitality industry.
LBB> What is its role in the global drinks / bartender landscape?
Marissa> From inspiring bartenders to elevate their craft to recognising and celebrating the very best international bartending talent – World Class has been continually evolving cocktail culture to support the trade. We’re proud to say World Class is the most prestigious bartender competition out there – it really is the competition you want to win, for several reasons, including – the mentoring received along the way, the opportunity to meet and be judged by the best of the hospitality industry from around the world, and the chance to work with the best spirits from Diageo’s Reserve portfolio, including Don Julio Tequila and Tanqueray No. TEN gin.
LBB> How does it play a part in the community?
Marissa> Since its launch in 2009, Diageo World Class has played a significant role in inspiring better drinking and transforming cocktail culture around the world by supporting over 450,000 bartenders worldwide through training and education. To further encourage community and diversity, Diageo has partnered with Learning for Life in all participating countries. Learning for Life is a programme which provides tools, training and skills in key areas related to the drinks industry, enabling people from all backgrounds to begin a career in bartending.
LBB> What’s the marketing role for the competition for Diageo Reserve brands – why is the World Class an answer to the marketing challenge for Reserve?
Marissa> World Class is an opportunity for us to connect with the industry in ways that traditional marketing models don’t allow. As a trade advocacy programme, the platform positions us at the forefront of cocktail culture, shaping and putting us at the centre of the narrative. The boom in cocktail culture has been vital in shaping the drinks industry over recent decades – so to be a part of the story like this – understanding the creativity of bartenders at the top of our game, gives us an advantage over the competition.
LBB> What’s special about this year? How do you keep the momentum after last year’s triumph?
Marissa> Last year, we hosted the Finals in Sydney, Australia. There, we had the thrill of bringing the best of the bartending community together after a tough few years; meaning we knew we had work to do to make this year feel even more special. So, we leant into it, and planned this year’s World Class in São Paulo, one of the most colourful, energetic cities I’ve ever been to. We’ve got 54 competitors on the ground who have all knocked it out of the park this week. A new addition to this year’s programme is the World Class Industry Forum – we’ve had phenomenal seminars running all week which have left us inspired, provoked and educated across a huge variety of topics which are relevant to the drinks industry. We are also continuing to push boundaries with the World Class Cocktail Festival, which this year stretches to 2,000 venues across Brazil, giving hundreds of thousands of cocktail lovers unique experiences from our Reserve brands.
LBB> Can you talk about previous winners and their successes?
Marissa> We’re so proud of our World Class Hall of Fame – so many of whom have gone on to do amazing things. For example, joining me this week in São Paulo we have: Giacaomo Giannotti, World Class Spain Winner in 2014, who is now the owner of the world’s best bar, Paradiso; Kaitlyn Stewart, World Class Global Winner 2017,who has her own consultancy business in her homeland of Canada and a huge following on social media, creating amazing, relatable drinks content; and Erik Lorinzc, World Class Global Winner in 2014, who is the owner of Kwānt, a wonderful bar in London. We also have Tim Philips-Johansson who has gone in a slightly different direction. Tim was our global winner in 2010 and two years ago, joined Diageo as Global Brand Ambassador for Johnnie Walker. It’s always so great to see what our winners get up to and I’m sure this year will be no exception.
LBB> What are some lessons from this competition that other marketeers from other brands might find useful?
Marissa> Trust the industry experts (the bartenders!) to push the boundaries with your brand – they can bring an invaluable alternative perspective, enabling you to identify and capitalise on opportunities for the brand that may otherwise have been left undiscovered.
