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It’s always an exciting event when the Diageo Reserve World Class Bartending Competition rolls into town. Beginning back in 2009, the competition takes place in countless cities around the world in Diageo’s quest to crown ‘the world’s best bartender’. Last year 15,000 bartenders from all corners of the globe took part in the competition for their opportunity to claim the title and in true Australian fashion; our very own Tim Phillips took home the prize. Go team. We recently attended the Victorian Finals of the event which took place at the wonderful 1806 in Melbourne’s CBD where laughs were shared and many-an-exquisite cocktail were sipped. Read on.

The prestigious competition is renowned for attracting some of the finest craftspeople in the field and champions the art of bartending in its truest form. Four Victorian winners were selected from an afternoon of strenuous competition and when the bar opened its doors last Tuesday evening it didn’t take long for the excitement to set in. The atmosphere was buzzing as each of the winners took their turn to man the bar – allowing us to catch a glimpse of the drinks which will take them to the Australian championships in Byron Bay. 

Prestige aside, the recently announced location of this year’s Grand Final, (which will take place on a luxury cruise in the French Riviera,) is more than enough inspiration for the talented folk taking part in the competition to do their very best and let’s not forget the casual $100,000 in prize money on the line. All in all, the evening was perfectly staged for us to catch a glimpse of some of Victoria’s finest mixologists doing what they do best. 

Thanks for having us Diageo, here’s to next time.