Miami was chosen for the Grand Final competition. 52 bartenders from around the world will compete to become the 2016 World’s Best Bartender.
After hosting the final of its 2015 competition in Cape Town, South Africa, last month, Diageo Reserve World Class announced it will head to Miami for the last leg of its 2016 competition next year.
The first World Class global final was held in London in 2009, and was later hosted in cities around the world, including New Delhi, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town.
While there can be only one global winner, the bartender talent on show throughout the World Class experience will demonstrate how the knowledge of quality spirits, the pedigree of ingredients and the pioneering of drinks-making techniques are cultivating next-level creativity underlining the fact that bartenders are as talented and creative as their chef counterparts.
The competition is part of a fully integrated program that aims to increase the quality of consumer's experiences in fine drinking, offering support and training to thousands of bartenders and bars to improve their skills. To date, the program has inspired and educated more than 25,000 bartenders worldwide while working in partnership with bars, restaurants, night-clubs and hotels to build their business and offer a better experience to consumers.

The most prestigious mixology event in the world is back again to Portugal. The battle for Best Portuguese Bartender starts this month. After the success of the first edition in Portugal, the international competition World Class is back to give opportunity to Portuguese bartenders to compete for the title of Best Bartender, functioning as an inspiration platform and fostering not only the technique but also the creativity of bartenders. The first qualifying phase will happen on the 25th, 26th and 27th of January in Porto, Lisbon and Algarve, respectively. Under the theme "Mindful Drinking", competitors will have to create a cocktail with the dark spirits from the Diageo Reserve brand. At this stage, the jury is looking for an appetizer or a nightcap inspiration from Autumn/Winter using seasonal spices. Also important is the engagement with the consumers: competitors must provide an interactive experience for not only the time of cocktail preparation but also for presentation of the drink. Other details are also taken into account, like the perception of flavor by managing the temperature and the use of ingredients and infusions created at home, providing flexibility and mastery of flavors. In this phase, a bartender from each of the three regions will be selected to compete in the National Final mid-2016.