The Patron Perfectionists Cocktail Competition is back with a new virtual format that will enable bartenders to express their creativity from the safety of their homes during COVID-19.

PATRÓN Perfectionists calls on mixologists from 20 countries across the five continents to submit a cocktail recipe that reflects their journey as they strive to perfect their craft.

This year’s brief is for entrants to present a cocktail using up to eight accessible ingredients to encourage consumers following the competition to recreate cocktail recipes at home.  The judging criteria for the ultimate cocktail will look to flavour, appearance, inspiration & engagement, and originality to decide on the winning selection. The ethos of the competition builds on Patrón Tequila’s core values of creativity, quality, and versatility.

For the very first time, the Perfectionists Cocktail Competition will see consumers play a pivotal role in the competition as they are called to cast their vote on a shortlist of 30 cocktails published online via drinks website Difford’s Guide. The rise of the home cocktail hour during the pandemic has armed drinkers with a newfound knowledge of spirits and cocktails and an appreciation of the bar scene and bartenders’ talent, makes them the perfect judges for this year’s competition.

The competition will see 10 mixologists per country take part in a national final in September which will be judged by a panel of four global expert judges and broadcast globally, providing further opportunity to spotlight their craft and connect with consumers.

One lucky Australian winner will be flown to Mexico in January 2022 – to compete against the other national finalists in the global final at Hacienda PATRÓN.

Bacardi-Martini Australia Brand Ambassador and 2017 & 2018 PATRÓN Perfectionist finalist Joseph Chisholm said: “The PATRÓN Perfectionists competition is all about the strive for excellence and innovation. It was an excellent opportunity for me to showcase what I love doing, which is experimenting with flavours and ingredients to find something that excites the senses.”

“The competition helped to build momentum in my career and take it to the next level. We’ve got unbelievable talent down under, so I encourage anyone who loves to push the boundaries like me, to enter and showcase the world-class creativity coming out of Australia,” he said.

Matthew Sykes, Senior Director, Global Marketing for PATRÓN and founder of the PATRÓN Perfectionists Cocktail Competition added: “The PATRÓN Perfectionists has brought together a community of creative and passionate bartenders who continue to push the boundaries of mixology and demonstrate the credentials of artisanal tequila to consumers. For 2022, we have envisioned a new format that will enable bartenders to express their talent and share it with the public globally. Over the past year, digital platforms have become more important than ever, having allowed the trade to keep their work forefront of consumers’ minds and inspire drinkers to raise their cocktail game at home. We cannot wait to roll out the new competition format and showcase brilliant bartenders and their creations as they join our Familia PATRÓN.”

The PATRÓN Perfectionists Cocktail Competition entries will be open until May 31, 2021. For updates, follow the progress of the competition on Facebook and PATRONPerfectionists.com

Anneliese Grazioli (above) from Hot Tamale in Darwin was the winner of the Australian and New Zealand Patrón Perfectionists Cocktail Competition in 2019.

Don’t miss Australian Cocktail Month