Three bartending extraordinaires based in Cape Town are ready to show their mixology skills and flair as they compete to be named as the country’s representative in Diageo’s World Class competition.
The trio are part of a group of 11 South African bartenders who have been selected to create, shake and make their finest cocktails.
Mthandazo Mweli from The Drinkery, Rhys Mc Beth from Bar by Rhys, and independent mixologist Alana Durow are the Cape Town hopefuls gearing up to the world’s biggest bar competition.
The other finalists are, from Johannesburg: Lucinda Zinyemba of Lucy’s Magic, Kelvin Mabaya and Julian Short of Sin + Tax, Thabiso Mabanna of SIP Exclusive and Maynard Boozen from Ethos. Gqeberha is represented by Liam Jukes of Tapas, and Jason Andrews from Liquid Concepts; and, Richie Nahlaka, from Alchemy Bar, hails from Durban.
Diageo SA’s senior brand ambassador, Mealyn Joyce, said: “World Class is the world’s biggest and most prestigious bar competition which is on a mission to inspire people to drink better while creating unforgettable experiences.
“By presenting magical cocktail experiences, we aim to encourage consumers to think about fine spirits in the same way they care about fine dining. One drink can change your life.”
World Class has supported, trained and inspired over 400 000 bartenders across 60 countries for over 12 years.
Three of the finalists – Mabanna, Mabaya and Zinyemba – are graduates of Diageo’s The Hand-Up Mentorship Programme, which aims to upskill bartenders through training, while adding diversity and inclusion to those seen behind the country’s bars, with more women and more people of colour.
The South African national finals take place in Johannesburg from July 9-12 2023, with finalists tasked to complete five challenges, each with their own score requirements – one of which is to make eight signature serves within six minutes.
The winner will represent South Africa at the Diageo global World Class competition in São Paulo, Brazil from September 23-30, 2023.
For more information, visit http://www.diageo.com/
Cape Times