After an intense two days of competition at World Class 2017, which is the global competition for bartenders sponsored by Diageo Reserve World Class, the final ten candidates to compete for the title of “World Class Bartender of the World” have now been chosen. The final ten candidates represent North America (United States, Canada, Mexico), Europe (Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, Sweden, Turkey), Asia (Japan) and Australia. The final winner will be selected in Mexico City on August 24.

Over the first two days of the competition, the ten bartenders overcame challenges that tested every single skill that makes a bartender truly great. Many of the skills tied into emerging consumer trends. For example, given all the media attention around environmental awareness and “going green,” contestants were asked to make the ultimate green cocktail. With cocktails becoming increasingly popular in the home, contestants were presented with the ingredients of a kitchen larder and asked to create something exceptional.

Innovative cocktail recipes and techniques also took center stage, as the bartenders took on the Heat of the Moment challenge, in which they were expected to use culinary techniques and local ingredients to create new drinks that break boundaries of existing cocktail making. It was their technique, charm, personality and knowledge of cocktails and spirits that placed the final ten above the rest.

The World Class Bartender of the Year competition is sponsored by Diageo Reserve World Class, which was established in 2009 to promote fine drinking and cocktail culture around the world. It has now served more than 250,000 bartenders in 60 countries through both training and advocacy.

Speaking about the competition so far, Lauren Mote, Diageo’s Global Cocktalian and World Class judge, said: “We’re two days into the biggest and best bartending competition in the world and I’ve already witnessed some of the most incredible cocktail making of my life. Every finalist has stepped up, so it was a tough call deciding on who should make the final ten. However, for me and the other judges, the ten we selected each did something truly exceptional and stand out.”

The decision of who to name the best bartender in the world is not going to be easy. Inspiration, creativity and innovation will all play a role in winning over the judges, as will speed, skill and overall technique. “There are two days left of the competition and I’m particularly looking forward to tomorrow’s Lucha Libre challenge – when our final ten enter the ring for the battle of the ‘classics’ in a competition to see who can create the best classic cocktail,” says Mote. “We’ll be looking for clever twists and inspired thinking whilst remaining true to the original cocktail creation.”

Given that the event is taking place in Mexico City this year, all eyes of the locals in attendance will be on Fatima Del Carmen Leon, a Mexican bartender from Fifty Mils. Global fans from Europe, North America, Japan and Australia can also tune in to the event via a special live stream set up by Diageo Reserve World Class.