Johnnie Walker Hosts the Biggest Bartending Competition in Nigeria
After a year of keeping things on hold, Johnnie Walker hosted the finale of its National Bartender Competition- “World Class” on the 13th of March, 2021 in Lagos. Before the final, the event started with a 4-day cocktail week event showcasing the amazing flavours of the finest of Diageo Premium spirits- Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky, Tanqueray 10 Gin and Ketel One Vodka.
The second edition of the most talked about bartending competition saw hundreds of talented bartenders from across Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja slug it out for a chance to make it to the top finalists for Nigeria. For the record, the prize is the chance to represent Nigeria in the global finals happening in Madrid in July this year. Post the preliminaries- four regional finalists emerged- Mr. Seth Awesome Jhan, Mr. Babalola Temitope Gideon, Mr. Aliyu Abdullah and Mr. Adama Augustine. These four bartenders went on to compete for the position of the World Class Nigeria Bartender of the Year title over the weekend.
Finalists were awarded points based on dexterity, creativity, and the quality of cocktails by a distinguished panel of judges including Ms. Lara Rawa, Mr. Oyindamola de-Medeiros, Mr. Ali Mattar, Ms Jenny Ademola, Ms Lola Pedro and Chef Benedict. Each bartender showcased their personality and expressed themselves through their signature cocktail serves. In the end, Mr. Seth Awesome Jhan emerged winner of World Class Nigeria Finale, 2021. You might recognize Seth from our interview with him a couple of years ago when he was the head bartender at Ile Eros.
It’s been an exceptional and inspiring journey. We can’t wait for the global finals in Madrid happening on the 5th-8th of July this year where Mr. Seth will put Nigeria on the map for our diverse and innovative drinks culture; Ope Makinwa, National Sales Reserve Manager stated!
As the biggest bartending stage worldwide, World Class aims to give Nigerians an opportunity to showcase their skills on the grandest stage and reshape the future of drinking culture. Mr. Seth Awesome Jhan will contest at the global World Class 2021 bartender competition in Madrid, Spain, this July.
About World Class
World Class is famed as the world’s biggest bartending competition. World Class is the global Diageo bartender training and education program that heightens the craft of bartending and focuses on delivering exceptional consumer experiences. Since its launch in 2009, Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS has been instrumental in transforming fine drinking and cocktail culture around the world. Now in over 60 countries, it has supported, educated, and inspired over 250,000 bartenders through its training and advocacy programme. For more details and information, follow our social media handles: @Johnniewalkerng on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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